Mir: The Dragoslav Cycle: Part 1 of 3
by NebulaBelt
Summary: (COMPLETED) [SatAM/Archie] While on a mission the Knothole Freedom Fighters come across a group of Mobians from all over the world. Only problem is that they're not all that happy to see them. And they're not alone.....PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!! PLEASE???
1. Chapter One

Sonic the Hedgehog and associated characters are (c) to Sega, Archie, DiC, etc. They are not mine and never were. Original characters and plot are (c) to me. Thank you.  
  
***  
  
Sally poured over the information Uncle Chuck had just sent her. None of it was good. "Please let it be a mistake," She silently begged. "Please..." But it wasn't. Robotnik had gone and done it.  
  
The Eastern Freedom Fighters were gone. Their base had been discovered the night before and Robotnik had utterly annihilated it. It's discovery was kept so secret that even Uncle Chuck didn't learn of it until after the massacre. Only Dirk and a handful of Freedom Fighters had gotten out. The rest were either dead or roboticized.  
  
"Eighteen freedom fighters are gone." Sally said softly. "And there was nothing I could do to stop it." Dirk had reported via Uncle Chuck that it would be several weeks, maybe months before he and his surviving freedom fighters could establish a new base and start fighting again. Months that Robotnik could use to solidify his control and shift his resources against the other freedom fighters. For every SWATbot they destroyed a hundred more would take it's place. When a single freedom fighter was lost, who would replace him? Let alone eighteen.  
  
She shook her head. Pity wouldn't get the freedom fighters out of this mess. What they had to do was beat Robotnik to the punch. Prevent him from capitalizing on his victory. Too much. She sighed. "I better tell the others."  
  
Sally called for an immediate meeting of the Core freedom fighters: Sonic, Bunnie, Antoine, Dulcy, Rotor, and Tails. No sooner had they all sat down than Sally said, "The Eastern Freedom Fighters are gone. Wiped out in a surprise attack last night. Dirk and a few of the others escaped, but it'll be a while before they recoup their losses enough to strike back."  
  
She paused as she watched the impact wash over them. Antoine blanched, Bunnie held her hand to her mouth, Sonic smashed his hand on the table, and the rest had varying responses to Sally's horrifying news.  
  
As soon as things were quiet again, Sally continued. "Right now Robotnik's going to think that he's all but won the war. That he's shown who's boss. That means he's going to be arrogant and careless. And we're about to take advantage of that."  
  
"Now THAT'S what I like to hear!" Sonic said as he punched his fist into the air. "Sticking it to Ro-butt-nik! What's the plan Sal?"  
  
"I've already talked to Lupe, Ari, Paulo, and Griff. They've all agreed to a massive, simultaneous series of raids against as many of Robotnik's factories, outposts, and garrisons as possible."  
  
"But Sally, won't Robotnik be able to replace those losses with forces from the east?" Rotor asked. "Now that Dirk's out of the fight, Robotnik wont need so many forces out there."  
  
"Dirk's out of the fight for the moment, yes. But that's where we come in." Sally paused as she looked out across the table. "I'm planning to take us to the east, where Robotnik thinks he's won, and teach him what it means to be a freedom fighter."  
  
"But what good will this being accomplishing?" Antoine asked in confusion.  
  
"Several things. One: It'll keep Robotnik off balance. Between our planned raid and the ones the others are planning, Robotnik wont know where to strike. Every time he sends troops to one front, we hit him on all the others. It'll get to the point that every time Robotnik has to strengthen one position, he'll have to weaken another. Two: We can bring resources and supplies Dirk's going to need very desperately. Three: While we're there, we can see if we can find any refugee groups or possible recruits to make up for our losses. Any questions?"  
  
There were none. Sally nodded. "Get some rest, tomorrow we head east."  
  
*** 


	2. Chapter Two

***  
  
"AAAIIEEEEEE!!! We are Doom-ed! Doom-ed!" Antoine screamed as he covered his eyes.  
  
"Shut up, Ant!" Sonic shouted over the wind. "Dulcy's not going to crash."  
  
"Doom-ed! Doom-ed!"  
  
"Guys? I hate to complain, but this is hard enough as it is without you twisting and shouting the whole way." Dulcy piped up.  
  
"Right. Sorry Dulce." Sonic said.  
  
"It's okay." Dulcy paused as she turned to avoid a cloud bank. "Where exactly are we going, Sally?"  
  
"There's an oil refinery located approximately six miles due north of here. That's our target. Right now, what we need is a place to rest and plan."  
  
"Over here Sally-girl!" Bunnie called from Dulcy's pouch. "Look left!" Sally turned her head and saw what Bunnie was talking about. There was a depression in the lowlands ahead. It was almost like a dimple on the face of Mobius, one that was filled with jungle. It was steep enough that it appeared impossible to scale and was ringed by mountains.  
  
"I see it Bunnie, good work." Sally said over the wind. "Okay Dulcy, set us down in the jungle."  
  
"Gotcha, Sally." Dulcy said. "Hang on."  
  
With that, Dulcy dove towards the hidden jungle Bunnie had discovered. But as she passed over the mountains, the winds began growing fierce and violent.  
  
"Dulcy!" Sally shouted.  
  
"HOLD ON TIGHT EVERYONE! IT'S GOING TO BE A BUMPY FLIGHT!" Dulcy shouted back. Sally tightened her grip on Dulcy's harness and saw Sonic hold Tails' hand tight. A sudden jolt nearly sent them all flying, it felt like the wind had kicked Dulcy in the stomach. Dulcy grit her teeth and beat her wings as fast as she could. With one last exertion of strength, she broke through the maelstrom.  
  
"Aaaahh." She sighed. "I'm home, Ma."  
  
"Snap out of it, Dulcy." Sonic said. "And remember not to-" Sonic's warning was cut off as Dulcy slid into a nose-dive. Right to the center of the jungle!  
  
"DULCY!" Sally all-but screamed into her ear. But the young dragon was barely lucid, it was a miracle she wasn't completely unconscious. As the green jungle floor grew closer and closer Sally made what was in all likelihood, one of her more insane ideas.  
  
"Jump for it!"  
  
Her fellow freedom fighters stopped and stared at her, but only for a moment. The next, they were leaping from the diving dragon and landing unceremoniously on the jungle floor.  
  
"Everyone all right?" Sally groaned as she rose to her feet. A chorus of "yeah," "sure thing," and "Sacre bleu-cheese" answered her.  
  
Sally looked around. "Where's Dulcy?"  
  
"There she is Aunt Sally!" Tails said, pointing up. Sally raised her head and saw Dulcy hanging upside down, her tail caught on a branch about seven feet up.  
  
"Dulcy! Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine, Ma." Dulcy groaned right before she fell. Fortunately, the toughness of dragon scales saved her from any major bodily injuries. Her wings however-  
  
"OWW!" Dulcy cried when she tried to flex her wings. Sally took Nicole off her boot and activated her.  
  
"Nicole, begin medical scan."  
  
"SCANNING, SALLY." Nicole hummed for a moment and then answered, "THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE CARTILAGE AND TO THE LIGAMENTS IN THE WINGS. DULCY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FLY FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS."  
  
"Two weeks?! Now how are going to get back to Knothole?" Rotor wondered.  
  
"We can't worry about that now." Sally replied. "Right now we have to-" A sudden howl rose out of the jungle that set everyone's fur on end. It wasn't the cry of a wolf or anything else the freedom fighters were familiar with. Nicole beeped.  
  
"SOUND DOES NOT MATCH ANY KNOWN CREATURE. ITS PITCH REACHES INTO THE HYPER-SONIC RANGE. CAUTION IS ADVISED."  
  
"M-Maybe I zam thinking we should be going nest-pas?" Antoine said over the chattering of his teeth. He was scared and Sally couldn't blame him.  
  
"I think you might be right, Antoine." Sally said slowly as she looked for someplace to head to. "There looks like there's a compound of some kind a bit south of here."  
  
"All right! Everyone grab on and I'll get us there in a sonic second!" Sonic said as he prepared to grab a power ring from his pack. Sally caught his hand,  
  
"Do you really think you can carry Dulcy? I hope you can since we are NOT leaving her behind! We all go or we all stay."  
  
"Got it, Sal." Sonic said as he put the ring back. "I guess I'll just have to stay behind with you slow-moes, eh?"  
  
"How generous of you." Sally said dryly. "Dulcy, can you walk?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"Good. Let's move." As the intrepid freedom fighters trekked through the jungle, the number and frequency of the strange cries grew. They all looked into the depths of the jungle, trying to find their source. They couldn't see a thing. As they reached the tall gray walls of the compound Sally had noticed, they all breathed a bit easier.  
  
"I am--how you be saying?--PHEWING!" Antoine sighed as he wiped his forehead.  
  
"What do y'all suppose this little old place is?" Bunnie asked.  
  
"We're pretty close to the borders of the former Overland Empire. I guess this is an abandoned garrison for Royal Troops." Sally said thoughtfully.  
  
"Maybe they'll still have some of their hardware here." Rotor added.  
  
"I'm just glad to be outta that jungle. It was given me the heebie-jeebies." Bunnie shuddered.  
  
"I know what you mean." Sally agreed. "I wonder how we get in-" Sally spun around at the sound of a deep, angry snarl coming from behind.  
  
"Look out!" A voice from above cried out. A instant later a plasma bolt struck the ground right behind the Knothole crowd. Sally heard a distinct moan and the sounds of something making a hasty retreat.  
  
With a creak and a groan the gates to the fortress swung open, beckoning the freedom fighters in. They didn't need to ask twice.  
  
"Inside!" Sally ordered. The instant they had all entered the compound, the doors swung shut behind them. She paused to look around the garrison (which was apparently NOT abandoned) and raised an eyebrow in surprise. For a base that must have been over a decade old, it was in surprising good shape. In the center was a central barracks and attached to it was a smaller section which is undoubtedly where the officers and administrators lived and worked. A smaller almost make-shift looking building is where munitions and weapons must have been stored. The central courtyard occupied most of the space inside the towering walls and walkways that ringed the fort.  
  
"Uh Sal? We're not alone here." Sonic pointed out. About a dozen Mobians occupied the courtyard the just entered, each one of them paused in the middle of whatever task they were just doing. All staring at them.  
  
"Mondo weird!" Sonic commented. "You'd think we were aliens or something!"  
  
Sally shushed him and turned to the curious on lookers. "Hello. Thank you for letting us in. Who-"  
  
"Nave te çi ye?" Said one of them, a female ferret working on a ladder. Sally blinked.  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't understand you." Turning to the rest of the crowd she asked, "Does anyone here-"  
  
"Jak se jmenujete?"  
  
"Masmuk?" After two or three more endeavors, Antoine piped up.  
  
"Zey are not speaking ze English, no?"  
  
"Heh, look who's talking." Sonic muttered to Tails. Tails just giggled.  
  
"What now, Sally-girl?"  
  
"I don't really know, Bunnie." She frowned. "I could try Nicole, but I really don't think she was built as a translator. Perhaps we could-" Sally trailed off as she looked up at one of the guard towers.  
  
"Yo Sal, what's up?"  
  
"Those towers. Look." They did. What they saw was the last thing they expected. Instead of seeing the Cosmic Serpent, the symbol of Mobius and crest of the Royal Family, they saw a white hand with a giant eye in its palm.  
  
"What is that?" Rotor wondered.  
  
"That's an Overlander symbol."  
  
*** 


	3. Chapter Three

***  
  
"Overlander?! MEGA bad news!" Sonic exclaimed.  
  
"What do you think a bunch of Mobians are doing in an Overlander base?" Rotor wondered aloud.  
  
"Good question. Maybe if we could understand them we might be able to find out."  
  
"Aunt Sally! One of them is coming toward us. It looks like he wants to talk to us."  
  
"Thank you honey. Maybe he knows some English." She turned to see a red fox walk over to them.  
  
"Zdrast'ye, dobry den. Kak vas zavut?"  
  
"Then again..." Sally sighed. She shook her head and studied her inquirer. He stood half a head taller than her and probably wasn't more than a year or two older than she was, but looked much older. His face was, in a word, gaunt. In fact, that seemed to be a pretty accurate description of him in general. His clothes seemed to billow around him, making him seem even thinner. He may not have been malnourished, but he wasn't all that far away. His shirt, vest, and trousers looked patched and worn, his boots scuffed and dirty and made him look as if he had been wearing handed-down clothing for some time. As he took off the red cap he was wearing, Sally saw his head-fur looking disheveled and his chestnut brown hair that he tied back in a pony-tail looking frayed.  
  
"But his eyes..." Sally thought silently. Bright green-brown eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses that were too big for his face, shown with intelligence and curiosity.  
  
"Kak dyela?"  
  
"My name is Sally. What's yours?" She asked as politely as she could, hoping he'd understand her. "I wish had studied other languages more." She thought regretfully. She tried to place his accent, with little success. "Is that Polish? Serbian? Russian? Definitely Slavic. But beyond that..."  
  
"What are we to be doing now, moi prinzess?" Antoine asked. Sally began to turn to answer, but paused when she saw the vulpine flinch. When she caught his gaze it was almost as if she were staring at a different person. His eyes, that looked so open, curious, and friendly a mere second ago now seemed veiled, betraying very little, except for anguish, hurt, and a cold almost accusatory fury that now seemed directed on solely on her. Had he caught any of that? Or did it just sound like something in his own language? She was about to ask when Tails pointed at a figure on the wall's walkway and shouted.  
  
"Aunt Sally!" Sally turned and dropped her jaw in surprise.  
  
"Oh my Gosh..." Standing on the walkway, armed to the teeth, was a party of Overlanders in uniform. And they did not look like they were in the mood to talk.  
  
"Hands up!"  
  
*** 


	4. Chapter Four

***  
  
"Sal, what's the plan?"  
  
"Do what they say Sonic. I don't want a confrontation if I can avoid it."  
  
"You're kidding, right?"  
  
"I'm kidding, not!"  
  
"Quiet!" Barked one Overlander angrily. Turning to his companion he said, "Get the Colonel."  
  
"Yes, sir!" A few minutes later, another Overlander came back. This one was tall, dark, and undoubtedly the one in charge.  
  
"Sergeant, who are they?" He asked, his voice a smooth baritone that seemed to rumble like approaching thunder.  
  
"Unknown, sir. They came out of the jungle."  
  
"Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow. He looked at the freedom fighters one by one, his gaze finally stopping on Sally.  
  
"I am Lieutenant Colonel Franklin, Commandant of this facility. And you are?" He said courteously.  
  
"My name is Sally." She replied. Sally felt it better to omit the fact that she was a scion of the House of Acorn, given the history between the Overlanders and the Royal Family. Sally expected nothing less than the third degree. She was not disappointed, though it did not go quite the way Sally thought it would.  
  
"Well Sally, may I inquire as to what you are doing here?" He sounded genuinely curious, as if she was simply stopping over for tea.  
  
"We were on our way to meet with some friends." She said, sticking as close to the truth as she could. "We got somewhat lost and now we'll just be on our way-"  
  
"I'm afraid not. Those beasts in the jungle are ferocious, you wouldn't last five minutes outside. Believe me, I know."  
  
Sally pursed her lips in thought. "Now what?" She wondered. Apparently Lt. Colonel Franklin was thinking the same thing.  
  
"Who precisely are you?" He asked. "You're not lost travelers, not this far east your not. Furthermore you aren't carrying any amount of supplies that suggests you've been traveling long. And with that trouble in Mobotropolis-" Sally felt a pang of home-sickness at hearing the name of her former home. "-I find it hard to believe that any Mobian would risk traveling over here for a lunch date."  
  
"Our friends don't live that far from us and we haven't seen them in sometime. There's nothing unusual about that." Sally insisted. "We're nobody special."  
  
Laughter broke out from behind her, she turned to find the red fox she was talking to a few minutes ago chuckling lightly. The colonel turned to him as well.  
  
"Do you have something to say, Misha?" He asked softly.  
  
"Da." The fox--Misha--said. He cleared his throat and then in perfectly understandable, if accented, English he said:  
  
  
All that is gold does not glitter,   
Not all those who wander are lost,   
The old that is strong does not wither,  
Deep roots are not reached by frost,   
From ashes a fire shall be woken,  
Alight from the shadows shall spring,   
Renewed shall be the blade that was broken,   
The crownless shall again be queen.  
  
  
Everyone turned to look at him. "Always with the poetry." Franklin said, shaking his head in bemusement. To Sally he said, "Am I to take it that you are King Maximillian's daughter?"  
  
Sally thought about lying and saying she wasn't, but decided that if she was going to have any chance at opening a dialogue, then it would have to be based upon honesty.  
  
"I am Princess Sally Alicia." She admitted.  
  
"Indeed." He nodded once to his soldiers and to Sally's surprise, they lowered their weapons.  
  
"Once more I am to be saying, PHEW!" Antoine said in relief.  
  
"Would you care in introduce us to the rest of your party?"  
  
"Of course, Colonel." Sally said cordially. Two could play that game. "This is Sonic the Hedgehog."  
  
"Better known as the Blue Dude with the attitude!" Sonic said by way of an introduction.  
  
"A pleasure." Franklin said cordially.  
  
"This is Antoine," Sally said next, wondering how Franklin would like seeing a Royal Uniform after so many years. Antoine came to attention and tried looking regal and military, and being Antoine, failed miserably. Sally didn't see the Colonel's face but could have sworn she felt a smile.  
  
After introducing Rotor, Bunnie, and Tails, they came to Dulcy. The Colonel's interest rose sharply. He then spied her injured wings and clucked his tongue.  
  
"I think we can have those taken care of. We have had some experience with dragons."  
  
"How could they have experience with treating dragons?" Sally wondered to herself. She almost didn't notice that she had nearly walked into that fox again. Sally studied him for a second, his eyes still seemed cloudy and sealed. The Colonel cleared his throat.  
  
"I ask that you forgive Misha's deception. He did so at my request. I find that people are more willing to talk around strangers when they don't think they understand them. That's what I had him feign ignorance of English."  
  
Misha inclined his head to the Colonel, then spun on his heel and walked away.  
  
"Do they all speak English?" She asked, using her hands to encompass the rest of the Mobians in the courtyard who were watching the exchange. He shook his head.  
  
"No. Besides my soldiers, only Misha and one other here know or speak any English." Strangely enough, Sally believed him.  
  
"How many Mobians are here?" She asked, wondering if they were prisoners and if so, whether she and the rest of her friends were now prisoners too.  
  
"About twenty, all told. As well as ten of my own people."  
  
"Are they your prisoners?" She asked, hoping to catch him off guard. He shook his head.  
  
"No. They are not captives and we are not captors."  
  
"Then they can leave whenever they want?" She asked.  
  
"Well, no." The Colonel admitted.  
  
"If they're not prisoners then they should be able to leave. One follows the other." Sally pointed out.  
  
"Not quite. What I told you about those...things in the jungle was quite true. None of us can leave the compound. At least, not alive."  
  
*** 


	5. Chapter Five

***  
  
"I'm still in bed." Sally thought to herself again and again. "Someone please come wake me up." The day had only gotten weirder since they arrived at the garrison. After their "interview" with Colonel Franklin, the freedom fighters were allowed to tour the facilities. Quickly taking advantage of the opportunity, Sally pulled them aside to figure out what to do next.  
  
"What do you make of all of this?" Sally asked her friends.  
  
"Well ah don't rightly know, Sally-girl. This seems seriously weird, but ah don't think we're being lied to or anythang," Was Bunnie's input.  
  
"Thanks Bunnie, that was what I was feeling too. Sonic, any comments?"  
  
"Yeah." He snorted. "What kind of a name is 'Misha' ? It sounds like a girl's name."  
  
Sally just rolled her eyes. "I meant anything USEFUL, Sonic."  
  
"Sorry, Sal. The ol' Hedgehog brain is running on empty. And so is my stomach. Do you think they have any-"  
  
"No, Sonic I really don't think they have any chilidogs."  
  
"Bogus!"  
  
"Excuse me." A voice from behind said. They turned to find an otteress standing behind them. "Hello, I'm Olivia Sinclair. The Colonel asked that I show you blokes around, eh wot?"  
  
"Say WHAT?" Sonic wondered in confusion. Sally resisted the impulse to roll her eyes again and instead decided to shake Olivia's hand.  
  
"Hello Olivia, I'm Sally."  
  
"PRINCESS Sally?!" She said with a gasp. She tried giving a curtsey with her skirt, but was obviously not in the habit.  
  
"That's really not necessary, just call me Sally. Titles don't count for much out here."  
  
"Right, well...*ahem* Like I was saying, I'm going to show you chaps about. Anything you want to see in particular?"  
  
"Not as such," Sally said. "Actually I'm more interested in the people here."  
  
"What do you want to know?" Olivia asked. Sally paused and nodded once to Bunnie. Bunnie nodded back and led the group off in another direction. When they were alone, Sally turned back to the older girl and asked, "What are you doing in an Overlander base?"  
  
She shrugged. "As the saying goes, it seemed like a good idea at the time." Seeing Sally's incomprehension, she elaborated. "I was a little girl, only ten when the Coup happened. I was visiting relatives in Mobotropolis, I'm from Mercia, you see. At any rate, as soon as everything started going balmy my granddad shipped me as far away as 'e could. I guess he was trying to get me home, but I ended up lost near the border. An Overlander patrol found me wondering around and took me back 'ere."  
  
"And you've been here ever since?" Sally asked in awe. Olivia nodded. "Have you been treated...well?" She asked tentatively.  
  
Olivia frowned for a moment before she figured out what Sally was asking. "You mean, 'ave I been mistreated or anything?" She shook her head. " 'eck no!" Sally was skeptical, but was careful enough to make sure her face didn't reflect what she was thinking.  
  
"And the others? Have they been-"  
  
"Treated quite well." Olivia answered. "Would you like to meet the others?"  
  
"Of course, but I thought they didn't speak English. Do you know-"  
  
"Any languages besides English? No, but we have a translator 'andy. The only trick is finding 'im."  
  
"Him?" Sally asked.  
  
"Yeah, Mikhail Sergeivich. Russian blighter, a good chap by all accounts. Even if he is a bit moody."  
  
"Russian? He wouldn't happen to be a red fox, answers to the name Misha, would he?"  
  
"That's the bloke. Met him already, 'ave you?"  
  
"You might say that." Sally said, briefly recounting what had happened with Misha and the Colonel.  
  
Olivia chuckled. "Yeah, 'e's got a way with words all right. 'e bloody spends so much time reading that about 'alf of wot he says is poetry or prose of something from somebody else."  
  
"Does he always speak in quotes?" Sally asked.  
  
"Quotes, riddles, aphorisms, rhyme, whatever strikes 'is fancy at any given moment."  
  
"Charming." Sally drawled. Olivia smiled.  
  
"He's not THAT bad. He's actually a bloody gent compared to some people around 'ere. Though I'll deny ever 'aving said that you understand."  
  
"Understood." Sally agreed. "Tell me, just what's the age group like around here? For the Mobians, that is."  
  
"Well most of us are around your age I reckon. Give or take a year. The youngest of us is Paul, he's thirteen."  
  
"And the oldest?" Sally asked.  
  
"You're looking at 'er. I'm twenty-one." Sally looked at her in surprise. She couldn't imagine herself being raised without Julayla and Rosie, both of whom were already middle-aged when she was a little girl!  
  
"So you found yourself the oldest in the group?"  
  
"By a few years, yes." Olivia agreed.  
  
"Do they listen to you?" Olivia's snicker was answer enough.  
  
"Not bloody likely! Seriously though, they'll listen to me...after a fashion." She added as the fiddled with the pink bow in her long braid. "But it isn't that I'm their leader or any of that rot. I just try to play the part of the shepherd, looking out for the 'erd and whatnot."  
  
"I see." Sally said neutrally. Olivia may not have the experience of Rosie or the calm patience of Julaya, but she played a similar enough role here. Sally said nothing more as Olivia led her around the courtyard and into the main barracks. She was led past the large mess hall and down the stairs into a dank, dark, and chilly basement.  
  
"Watch your step." Olivia called from in front of her.  
  
"What is this place?" Sally called, her voice echoing slightly in the darkness.  
  
"We call it 'The Dungeon.' " Olivia answered as she opened the door. Sally squinted, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness. There was very little lighting and most of the room was cast in shadow. Even in the darkness Sally managed to make out some shapes. Most of it was furniture, chairs, tables, and bookcases. Lots of bookcases. So many in fact that it looked like...  
  
"Is this a library?" Sally asked in astonishment.  
  
"That it is. Or was at any rate."  
  
"In an Overlander military base?" She said in confusion.  
  
"We're not sure why either." Olivia admitted. "The garrison itself seemed only 'alf-complete when the war ended. No one even knew about this basement, not even Colonel Franklin."  
  
Sally paused for a moment to think. That would suggest that this place was older than the Overlander garrison, or rather, the garrison had been converted from something even older.  
  
"Why do you call this place a dungeon?" Sally asked, half-dreading the answer.  
  
"On account that Misha's always locking 'imself up in 'ere. Pity the light isn't better, ruined 'is eyes it did. I'm sure you noticed the glasses." She added by way of an explanation. "Lucky break for us that one of the Overlanders was a former optometrist."  
  
"What exactly is your relationship with the Overlanders?" Sally asked as innocently as she could.  
  
"Ah here we are!" Olivia said as she spied a low light emanating for a distant corner of the large underground library. "Finally!" Olivia exclaimed. "And 'ere I thought we'd have to look under every stone in this bloody place."  
  
Sally noticed the obvious dodge but choose not to pursue it right then. She filed Olivia's response away as the two of them made their way over to the light. Sally saw their quarry sitting under a lamp, pouring over a pile of old books.  
  
"Misha," Olivia said, rapping him lightly on the head. "You awake?"  
  
"Da. I'm awake." He said as he closed the book. "What do you want Olivia?"  
  
"There's someone I want you to meet. Or rather, meet again."  
  
"Hello, Misha. I'm Sally" Sally said as she stepped up and extended her hand. Misha just looked at her as if she were a SWATbot.  
  
"Menya zavut Mikhail Sergeivich Dragoslav." He said his voice trembling--with nervousness? Anger?--and would not meet her gaze.  
  
"Misha, Sally would like to meet everyone." Olivia said, trying to draw attention away from his nervousness.  
  
"So you need me to translate? And here I thought you just enjoyed my company." He pouted. Olivia just smiled and mussed his head-fur.  
  
"Sure I do, the same way I enjoy your snoring."  
  
"I do NOT snore!"  
  
"Either you snore or we had a merry 'ell of storm last night. And every night for the last eleven years." Olivia said. Misha's retort was in Russian, so Sally didn't understand exactly what he said, but the context suggested that it wasn't nice. She frowned, he seemed relaxed enough now, but whenever he seemed to look at her, it was like he saw a ghost.  
  
"Or a demon." Sally thought dramatically. Misha stood up and gave a little mock bow to Olivia and then headed for the door.  
  
"Is it something I said? Or did?" Sally asked. "He seemed pretty nervous."  
  
"No, no. Misha just...I guess 'e just wasn't comfortably with someone 'e doesn't know using 'is nickname."  
  
"Misha is a nickname?"  
  
"It's derived from 'Mikhail.' When you talk to Russians, it's polite to say their name and their patronymic."  
  
"So I should refer to him as 'Mikhail Sergeivich' ?"  
  
"Until 'e gets to know you, yes. Come on, Misha's waiting." Sally silently followed Olivia outside. She didn't say anything because she knew Olivia was lying.  
  
*** 


	6. Chapter Six

***  
  
Sally wanted to go find her friends before Mikhail Sergeivich took her around to meet the others, so they headed back up to the mess hall. There, Bunnie was standing between Sonic and Antoine, both of whom were standing with their backs to each other and wearing standoffish expressions.  
  
Sally sighed as she headed towards them. "Do I want to know?" She asked Bunnie.  
  
"I don't think so, Sally-girl." Bunnie said wryly, shaking her head. "Mah stars, those boys."  
  
"I know what you mean." Sally agreed. Raising her voice slightly, she said "We've been invited to a tour to meet our hosts. I would expect that some of you," she looked to Sonic and Antoine "Will be on your best behavior. Clear?"  
  
Antoine immediately began offering his immediate pledges to "honor hiz prinzess" and so on and Sonic rolled his eyes and nodded once.  
  
"Good." Was all that Sally said in response. She led them outside where their guide was waiting. Sally went through the introductions as diplomatically as she could, all the while, her eye was on their vulpine tour guide. Whatever innate hostility he had for Sally didn't seem to transfer to the others, though she did catch a look of disgust at the sight of Antoine's royal uniform. Out loud however, he was quite polite. Even charming. Though Sally could've sworn she heard him mutter "Who teach them English?" after he was introduced to Bunnie, Sonic, and Antoine.  
  
Afterwards, once the introductions were finished, the freedom fighters were led around back to a small plot of land that was used to grow and raise crops. In the dirt, ploughing the field by hand was a younger raccoon girl.  
  
"Ah guten tog Rosa! Bist du da?" Mikhail asked. Rosa turned around and stood up, dusting dirt off her dress. She looked thoughtful.  
  
"Das ist die frage. Ja, aber naturlich ich heisse, du dummkopf!" She shouted in mock annoyance. Mikhail rolled his eyes.  
  
"Mazeltov. Danke schon fraulein Nussboym." Turning to Sally and the others, he said, "I'm not translating that." He cleared his throat. "This is Rosa Nussboym."  
  
"Tell her I'm pleased to meet her." Sally said. Mikhail translated fairly quickly.  
  
"Rosa says she's glad to meet you all too."  
  
"What language is that?" Rotor asked. "German?"  
  
Mikhail shook his head. "Close, Yiddish. Rosa's Jewish. She and her twin brother David came to Mobotropolis after the Great War ended." Sonic winced.  
  
"Man, talk about your mondo bad timing!" Mikhail solemnly nodded.  
  
"Da. Her parents were captured but she and David managed to escape. Then they ended up here with the rest of us."  
  
"Mikhail Sergeivich, did all of you come here voluntarily?"  
  
"To the garrison? Well you know what they say about any safe port in a storm....At any rate some of us were visiting relatives in Mobotropolis after the war ended. Ones they hadn't seen or heard from since the war began, like with Olivia. Others moved to Mobotropolis to try to have a chance at a better life, like the Nussboyms."  
  
"And you?" Sally asked. "Why did you come to Mobotropolis?" He frowned and said in an icy tone,  
  
"I do not wish to discuss it." In a tone that brooked no disagreement. "Now if you'll please follow me..." He said as he headed past the garden. Sally looked over her shoulder as she walked, she saw Rosa's concerned face staring at Mikhail's retreating form. She may not have understood the conversation, but she apparently knew that he was upset.  
  
"I wonder why." Sally thought to herself. Then she thought back to her first meeting with him. Could it be related? She shook her head, trying to stay focused. Sally hurried to catch up with the others. They finally came to a stop just inside the building Sally had originally thought was a munitions warehouse. Instead, it appeared to be a barn. Nearly the entire floor was covered in piles and sheets of hay and old leaves. A ladder led up to a loft where an equine was busy working.  
  
Walking to the ladder, Mikhail called "Salaam aleikum, Abdullah."  
  
"Aleikum salaam, Misha." Came the reply as he climbed down.  
  
"Sally, everyone, this is Abdullah Nuqrashi. He's from Arabia and the only half decent cook here. He's one of my closest friends here, though anything he might say about me is a dirty lie."  
  
Abdullah was a fairly handsome stallion who stood at about the same height as Misha. His clothing was the same kind of old, patched and re-patched kind of worn clothing that everyone else had, save for the checkered keffiyeh he wore on his head.  
  
"Salaam." He said as he inclined his head in a small bow. "Masaa al-khayr."  
  
"Abdullah says hello and good morning." Mikhail said dutifully in his role as translator.  
  
"Tell Abdullah that it's delightful to meet him." Sally said. "Can I ask how he ended up here?"  
  
After a few lengthy minutes in Arabic, he turned back to the Knothole crowd. "Abdullah said he ran away from home when he was young and got eventually found work on shipping lines. Says he learned how to cook from the best chefs of the Royal Cruise Lines. Of course, I happen to know for a fact that he was only a galley chef's assistant on a dank, rusty old freighter that delivered food-stuffs."  
  
As with Rosa, Abdullah knew no English but there was no mistaking the tone of voice Mikhail was using. Abdullah glowered at him and muttered something in Arabic. Mikhail just turned and frowned.  
  
"You leave my grandmother out of this! You.." He dropped back into Arabic. Abdullah reeled back in shock and started laughing. He turned to the freedom fighters and said something in rapid Arabic. He said, according to Mikhail, that if the freedom fighters were smart, they'd find a new translator. Preferably one without the friendly disposition of a devil. He turned back to his work as the group was led away.  
  
Sally sighed and shook her head. "I've said it before and I'll say it again, 'Boys!' " Still shaking her head, she followed Mikhail and the others out into the courtyard. There she spied several other Mobians. Mikhail called out to a bear and a mouse who were busy working on some pipes near the main barracks.  
  
"This is Ejnar Bjorn, he's Danish and is our best (and only) martial artist." Mikhail said, introducing the bear.   
  
"God eftermiddag." Ejnar rumbled gruffly.  
  
"Pity his manners aren't as impressive as his fighting style. At any rate, this is Ixaka Goiherri Zapalategi, a Basque who's a fairly decent architect. Helps make sure the plumbing works and the buildings don't collapse. An all around decent fellow, if you don't count his annoying habit of singing in the shower." Mikhail said, referring to the diminutive mouse standing beside him.  
  
"Kaixo." Ixaka said nicely. Sonic snickered from behind Sally. Sally said nothing about Sonic's rude behavior, other than to step on Sonic's foot. Hard. Sonic grunted from behind Sally and said nothing further, for which Sally was immensely grateful.  
  
A sudden curse cut through the air like a knife.  
  
"Mauvais tabernac!" A feminine voice cried out in anger. Mikhail sighed in mock despair.  
  
"I suppose it was inevitable. Come on, I'll introduce you to her. Watch your heads, she has a bit of a temper."  
  
Without further ado, Mikhail led them around the corner to where a rather angry young vixen was busy trying to carry several heavy boxes into the back door of the administration building. Trying being the operative word.  
  
"Bonsoir, Marie." Misha called good naturedly. "Pardonnez-moi mademoiselle-"  
  
"Sacre merde!" Marie exclaimed as she ran over and embraced Mikhail, nearly knocking him off his feet, and then kissed him once on each cheek. "Merci beaucoup."  
  
"Pas de qoi." He said. "S'il vous plait." He said indicating the freedom fighters. Marie nodded.   
  
"Oui, vous avez raison." She said and let go. Clearing his throat, he turned back to others.  
  
"This is Marie Reynard, she's French and comes to us from Gaul. She's the person you talk to whenever you feel down and she'll kick your backside until you cheer up."  
  
He turned to her for a second and spoke to her in rapid French. When he was finished, she turned to the freedom fighters and then Misha in astonishment.  
  
"Mon Dieu. C'est vrai?" She asked in disbelief.  
  
"Oui." Mikhail said. Marie turned back to Sally, bowed since she wasn't wearing a skirt or dress and then went back to work, a dazed look on her face. Sally stared at her guide for a second with a critical eye. Mikhail was quick to introduce two other females, a Bengal tiger and a crocodile, who were inspecting the far wall.  
  
"This is Indira, she's from India." He said, indicating the tigress who smiled politely and waved.  
  
"Namaskaar."  
  
"She also happens to be a rather talented singer and dancer. Quite a sight to see really, though we seldom have cause for celebration around here. And this is Nihal Kuar." Mikhail said, nodding to the crocodile.  
  
"Sat sri akal." The crocodile girl smiled, a big toothy grin that showed off all her teeth and caused Antoine to whimper.  
  
Mikhail grinned at his discomfort but merely said, "She's quite harmless. In fact, she mainly concerns herself with growing flower beds around the buildings here." When he said that she was a Sikh, Antoine stopped whimpering and biting his nails long enough to ask,  
  
"A Seek? But ze is not ze hiding." Mikhail just stared at him, mouth agape as if he had just heard the stupidest remark he ever heard. Of course, Sally thought, he hadn't known Antoine all that long.  
  
"Sally Maximillianovna?" Mikhail asked, deriving a patronymic from her father's name.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You're freedom fighters, yes? Sworn to free Mobius of Robotnik and save the world?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And this is the best you have?"  
  
"Yes." Sally said again, albeit a little sadly. He buried his face with his hands and groaned.  
  
"We're doomed."  
  
*** 


	7. Chapter Seven

***  
  
If Sally thought that her little "moment" with Mikhail was going to get him to relax any, she was wrong. Lucky for her then that she harbored no such illusions. But even she didn't expect the strength of his reaction. Almost the second after he realized that he had been talking to Sally like a friend, he immediately tensed up and avoided looking in her general direction. Almost as if he were actively reminding himself that he had to hate Sally. Sonic mumbled several suggestions to Sally about the cause of his reactions, which involved a either lack of fiber in his diet or an excess of starch in his trousers.  
  
Sally was so intent on watching Mikhail Sergeivich, she only barely acknowledged the introductions of several female denizens. Liu Han, a Chinese panda, Thanh Phan Nguyen, a Vietnamese cat, Nazdar Obaidullah, a Kurdish ferret, Anna Talonescu, a Romanian canine, and Svetlana Bailzow, a Roma squirrel. She smiled politely and returned their various greetings as best she could, but she kept her attention fixed on Mikhail.  
  
He didn't quite feel...right. He just seemed to switch from persona to persona with the ease that most people change their socks. One second he's like big kid, and the next he's as serious as a statue. Diplomatic one moment, then blunt and tactless. Friendly then hostile. Idealistic then cynical. It just didn't add up.  
  
While Mikhail was busy trying to explain to Rotor just how the barracks managed to obtain its minimal electricity and heat, Sally paused to mentally tally all of the little details and oddities that were tugging at her mind.  
  
Needless to say, it was a fairly long list: The presence of the Overlanders and their relationship with the Mobians here, Olivia's dodges, Mikhail's apparent hatred of Sally, the general shabbiness in which the Mobians, at least, seemed to live, and the apparent lack of anything beyond the bare necessities. Even medicine and food seemed scarce.  
  
As Sally heard Mikhail describe the barracks where he and the others lived, Sally couldn't help but frown at the dispassionate way he described the place he had spent the last eleven years of his life. Sally still thought of Mobotropolis as home, but Knothole wasn't someplace she could just discard with a wave and a shrug.  
  
When Mikhail actually led them into the barracks, Sally found that she had been, if anything, overly optimistic about their living conditions. Calling the place spartan would have been an understatement. The ground floor was simply the mess hall which itself was just a couple of tables and a stove. The top floor, where they slept, was little better. It was nothing more than a wide open space that was cleaved in two by a wall. One side was the actual sleeping area. All they had was some sleeping bags, a few cots and blankets, and a single actual bed. That was all. The other side was the bathroom which consisted of an open space with multiple shower heads and the sinks and stalls along the wall. The only "luxuries" were the plumbing, the minimal electricity, and the heating system. Other than that, it was completely bare and drab. The Overlanders lived in the administration building, which by all accounts looked in better condition than the barracks did.  
  
Try as she might, Sally couldn't imagine herself living in a place that was devoid of warmth, of personal touches. The entire building seemed completely empty of any personal effects. If Mikhail hadn't told her otherwise, she'd have thought that they moved in this morning, not a decade ago.  
  
"How could anyone live like this?" Sally wondered. The complete absence of anything even resembling privacy here was one thing, what could one expect when twenty people shared a single room, regardless of how big it was? But the lack of any sense of 'home,' that was something else entirely. While Sally and the others in Knothole still thought of Mobotropolis as there home, Knothole had become a sort of second home. A temporary retreat, not home but not unpleasant either. For the people here, they seemed to think of this place as nothing more than four walls and a roof, if even that. And she STILL didn't know what the deal was with the Overlanders there. Or how so many different Mobians could end up here. Add to that the mystery of why Olivia seemed to be deflecting her lines of inquiry and Mikhail's incomprehensible hatred of her...She sighed.  
  
"The worst part of all these little mysteries," Sally thought to herself, "Is that I can't ask anyone here about any of them!" If Olivia insisted on avoiding Sally's questions, If Mikhail refused to even speak directly to her, and if the Overlanders proved biased, then who could Sally ask? No one else spoke English and if she needed someone to translate she would have to get Mikhail. And that brought her back to her original problem. It was a conspiracy of silence.  
  
As Mikhail led them back outside again, he abruptly stopped walking. Sally looked over his shoulder and saw a raccoon heading towards them. She thought for a moment that it was Rosa again, but no. This one was male, though he shared the same blue eyes and other characteristics of Rosa.  
  
"This is David Nussboym. You've already met his sister Rosa." Mikhail said curtly. Sally smiled as she shook his hand, but her attention was on how David and Mikhail were acting towards each other. Or rather, how they WEREN'T acting. Everyone Sally had been introduced to so far seemed relaxed and friendly towards each other. Not so with Mikhail and David. There was a restrained manner in which they spoke around each other, even when they weren't directly speaking TO each other. Even after David had left, Mikhail still seemed tense and reserved. There were issues between the two of them, just below the surface. Sally sighed.  
  
"Just one more mystery to add to the list." She thought with more than a little dejection. Unfortunately, just at that moment, another one chose to reveal itself. Only this one made more of a dramatic entrance.  
  
Sally felt a breeze as something swooped down from above. She caught it only out of the corner of her eye, and then only for a second. It was long, white, and lithe. As it landed next to the freedom fighters, she could see its features in better detail. It had a long, thin body almost as if there was no distinction between its neck, body, and tail and was covered with a long blue mane that arched down his neck all the way to his tail. It walked on four talon-like claws and was covered in gleaming white scales that were almost too bright to look at. It's snout was also stretched out, it's eyes a burning red flame. It's most distinctive feature however, were the two long bat-like wings that were currently folded against its flank. All the freedom fighters were stunned, none of them more so than Dulcy.  
  
It was a male dragon.  
  
*** 


	8. Chapter Eight

***  
  
Dulcy's jaw dropped so far it nearly scraped the ground. The new dragon simply cocked his head to one side and studied the new arrivals. "Who are they, Misha?"  
  
"They're guests, Sky Lynx." He said, though Sally heard more than a little irony on the word 'guests.'  
  
"Sky Lynx?" Dulcy asked. "Is that your name?"  
  
"No actually, but since my parents named me in the ancient dragon tongue, and no one here could ever HOPE to pronounce it correctly--" Mikhail flushed as if embarrassed that there was one language he couldn't master. "--I chose to go for as direct a translation as I could. My name means, roughly translated, 'One who flies in the air with the grace of a feline,' so they took that to mean Cat of the Air, and from that they got Sky Lynx. So I guess you can call me Sky Lynx, son of Gwaihir,"  
  
"Well, my name's Dulcy, uh daughter of Sabina. Pleased to meet you." Dulcy said earnestly.  
  
"Likewise." Came the bland response. Turning back to Mikhail he said, "You can tell the Colonel that I did what he asked. Now, I'm going to bed."  
  
"Okay, Sky Lynx. Pleasant dreams." The dragon just snorted in response and sauntered off to the barn where they met Abdullah. He walked in, closing the door behind him with his tail.  
  
Dulcy just 'harrumphed!' in annoyance and crossed her arms. "Wasn't he just friendly?"  
  
"He's been out all night and all morning." Mikhail said defensively. "He's just worn out."  
  
"What was he doing for the Overlanders?" Bunnie asked.  
  
"That, I'm afraid, is solely the Colonel's business."  
  
"Then why did Sky Lynx report to you?" Sonic asked bluntly. The corners at Mikhail's mouth bunched together and he visibly bristled.  
  
"That's really none of your business." He said as coolly as he could. "I agreed to be your guide, not your stool pigeon."  
  
"HMMPPPPHH!" Antoine huffed. "I cannot be understandzing why any loyal subject would be cooperated with an mere Overlander." He said in derision. Sally was about to stop Antoine before he managed to put BOTH feet in his mouth, but held back. She decided that she should see what Mikhail's response would be. Perhaps it would shed some light on things.  
  
Meanwhile, Antoine kept on rambling. "Why, I am ze Royal Guardsman! It is zour duty to be assisting myself in defending ze honor of ze House of Acorn against ze Overlander scum!"  
  
Later on Sally would question the wisdom of letting Antoine run off at the mouth. She would wonder whether or not she should have stepped in before it got to the boiling point. But for now, Sally could only watch in amazement as Misha stormed over to Antoine and drew himself up to his full height. Visibly seething with fury, he smacked Antoine across the face with an open palm.  
  
Still quivering with rage, Mikhail managed to slowly ground out a calm, almost cool response that sharply contrasted with his appearance. "I knew from the moment I saw you that you were a buffoon. That's the only reason why I didn't do a hell of a lot more than just slap you. Hopefully that was enough to smack some sense in your head. To answer your inquiries, perhaps you should consider the possibility that I am NOT a 'loyal subject' and that I'm damn proud of it! Perhaps you should consider that these people, these 'mere Overlanders,' these 'scum' as you called them, have done more for me, for everyone here, than you and your blue-coated trash ever could! This tour is over!" He finished angrily, tears of rage running unashamed down his face as he stormed away.  
  
Almost as an afterthought he turned around. "And as for the House of Acorn, perhaps you should ask how I can defend something it doesn't have?" He spat angrily. Only he wasn't looking at Antoine as he said it. His eyes bore straight into Sally's. She saw the same look of hurt and anguish that she saw when he first heard someone call her 'princess.' After he stormed away, Sally turned back to the others to gage their reactions.  
  
Antoine was still stunned, absently rubbing the side of his face as if he didn't realize he was doing it. Sonic looked at Antoine with a look of disgust and rolled his eyes, suggesting that Antoine had it coming and in truth, he probably did. Rotor took his cap of his head and absently fiddled with it. Tails looked at everyone's face, silently waiting for someone to explain to him what just happened. Unfortunately, no one had an answer for him. Dulcy seemed shell-shocked and just shook her head in amazement.  
  
Bunnie summed up the situation best. "Ooo-wee! What do you suppose that was all about Sally-girl?"  
  
"I really don't know, Bunnie." Sally answered evenly. Her voice hardened slightly, remembering Olivia's deflections and dodges. "But I intend to find out."  
  
*** 


	9. Chapter Nine

***  
  
After leaving Bunnie and the others, Sally went looking for Olivia. She spent several minutes combing the barracks, getting more and more incensed by the second. Bad enough that they had been stranded here, bad enough that all but two of the twenty odd Mobians didn't speak English, bad enough being deceived, but not even being given the benefit of the doubt was too much!  
  
Sally finally found Olivia in the mess hall. She was sitting at a table along the far wall, sipping at a thin broth of something that smelled heavily of cabbage. She seemed quite taken aback when Sally suddenly sat down opposite her and said:  
  
"I want the truth." Olivia nearly choked on her soup. Recovering quickly she said, "What goes on 'ere isn't any of your concern unless we choose to make it. I've already told you more than you 'ave a right to know."  
  
"Like hell." Surprising herself by her own ferocity, Sally pushed on. "I can understand the mistrust, I can understand the fear, and I can even understand the edginess. But what I can't understand, what I REFUSE to understand, is why you seem perfectly fine with lying to our faces without even giving us so much as a chance to understand you!"  
  
"If I've chosen not to bloody tell you everything, which is NOT the same as lying, then you can be sure I've done so only to protect our privacy." Sally saw that she was simply agitating Olivia, not a great strategy. So she decided to switch tracts.  
  
"Look, I'm not trying drag anything out of you. I'm just asking that you give us a chance. We're lost, confused, and frankly your unresponsiveness isn't helping. We only want to help."  
  
Olivia visibly seemed to deflate, as if she was a punctured balloon. "All right, all right, no need for the ruddy guilt trip. Your good, bloody good." She sighed. "What do you want to know?"  
  
"For starters, what exactly is the relationship you have with the Overlanders? I heard Misha talking to a dragon about some sort of task the Colonel requested of him and I remember you coming to us right after the Colonel promised a tour. Mind you, I want the whole truth this time." Sally added.  
  
"I didn't lie to you before. They aren't our captors and we aren't their captives."  
  
"Then what are they?" Sally asked, trying to be patient.  
  
"Our protectors."  
  
"Protectors? You mean from those beasts in the jungle?" Sally asked.  
  
"Got it in one." Olivia shuddered, and not from the cold.  
  
"What are those...things?" Sally asked in a low voice.  
  
"I 'onestly 'ave no bloody idea. They've always been in the jungle, as long as I've been 'ere. Used to be they'd stick to the interior and rarely foray out. But over the last few years they've gotten a 'ell of a lot more aggressive." She paused, as if in need of encouragement.  
  
"Go on." Sally urged.  
  
"Well, used to be that we could actually go outside the wall. Even managed to pick fruit and berries from the outskirts of the jungle. And the Overlanders used to 'ave watchtowers and outposts all around the bloody jungle. Not anymore though."  
  
"How did you and the others get inside this valley?" Sally asked. "We had to fly in and that wasn't all that easy. Or pleasant." She added, remembering the crash.  
  
"There are caves, tunnels in the mountains that lead from one side to the other. When I came in, I ran into an Overlander patrol in one of those tunnels. They took me back to the garrison 'ere. I was the first Mobian they encountered."  
  
"But not the last." Sally stated.  
  
"No, not the last." Olivia agreed. "In the first week after the Coup, there were no less than a dozen Mobians 'ere. Misha among them. The rest came soon afterwards. Most of them 'ad similar stories to my own. Visiting relatives, trying to start a new life in Mobotropolis, or just coming for the Victory celebrations. Then after Robotnik took over, we all ran like 'ell and ended up with the Overlanders."  
  
Sally paused and mentally nodded. Now things were starting to come together, some things anyway. "How did they treat you at first?"  
  
"At first? I don't think they 'ad a clue about what to do. They just lost the Great War, but now it looked like Mobotropolis 'ad gone to 'ell in a 'andbasket. They didn't quite know what to do. I remember they gave us food, blankets, but pretty much left us alone. Until..."  
  
"What?" Sally asked, unconsciously leaning forward in her seat.  
  
"They 'ad to abandon the base. They didn't want to start a war they couldn't win, so they began to pack up." She sighed. "The plan was for them to seal up the tunnels after they evacuated and leave us out in the wilderness. Either to die or to be captured by SWATbots."  
  
"That's horrible!" Sally exclaimed, her face a mixture of shock and disgust. Then she paused and thought about where this was going. "But someone intervened on your behalf." She said, not a question. "Colonel Franklin?"  
  
"General Franklin, actually." Olivia corrected. "I still don't know why, but he threw away his rank, his career, even any hopes of a normal, peaceful life for us. He never told us why, but he stood up for us. When the Overlanders left, the Colonel stayed, along with over a dozen of his most loyal soldiers."  
  
" 'Over a dozen?' What happened to the others?" Sally asked. "Colonel Franklin said their were only ten Overlanders..." She trailed off, a sinking feeling in her stomach gave her a pretty good idea what happened to them.  
  
"After the main Overlander force withdrew, those blasted beasts started turning up. I guess without all the bloody racket from the garrison troops, they decided to get bold. Nowadays they come right up to the ruddy walls and start scratching around, even during the day. Without the Overlanders..." Olivia turned away, that thought best left unfinished. She cleared her throat. "But some Overlanders weren't so lucky. Two years ago, one fell off the walkway at night, when those things were on the prowl. I-I still 'ear his screams sometimes, in my dreams."  
  
"Oh good god." Sally breathed. No wonder Mikhail and the others were so grateful to their Overlander patrons! "Olivia, I-I had no idea." Sally could feel her eyes water. "I'm sorry."  
  
Olivia shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to dwell on that. "Well there you 'ave it. The Overlanders protect us from those creatures since we can't use their weapons and we 'elp ensure that the garrison is well maintained and grow the food. Everyone benefits, though right now I'd sooner be at the beach."  
  
Sally paused, she really didn't want to push for anymore answers right now. It was clear that the older girl was emotionally exhausted, but she needed to find out one last thing. "Do you know why Mikhail seems to hate the House of Acorn?"  
  
"Sally," Olivia said after a tense pause. "As cliché as this might sound, it's nothing personal. But do you 'onestly think that everyone in the Greater Kingdom of Acorn was as well off as you?" Sally opened her mouth to answer, then shut it when she realized that she had no answer. "Sally, I like you. I really do. If I 'ad to 'azard a guess, so does everyone 'ere. But..." She licked her lips and tried again. "Eleven years is a long time to get to know a group of people Sally, especially in such cramped quarters. We eat together, work together, sleep together, even shower together. As you can probably well imagine, that tends to break down walls of privacy. We 'ave few secrets from each other."  
  
Sally nodded, waiting to see where she was going with this.  
  
"So we all know about each other's childhood's, our backgrounds, our experiences. And based on my experiences with the monarchy, to say nothing of theirs, I'd say it would be hard to NOT 'ave a problem with the monarchy."  
  
Sally just sat there, as if she had been physically struck. Olivia just shook her head and sighed. "I'm really sorry, Sally. Maybe we should talk about this later. Right now I have to-"  
  
"I understand." Sally said softly. "If we had only known sooner we might have been able to-"  
  
"To do what?" Olivia asked, her voice heavy with resignation. "We can't change the past, any more than we can simply walk out of here. Bloody wretched beasts. We're stuck 'ere." She gave a little laugh that was anything but humorous. "And now, you're stuck 'ere too."  
  
*** 


	10. Chapter Ten

***  
  
Sally walked away feeling two inches tall. "Well, Sally. You went in demanding answers and you got them." She smiled bitterly to herself. She sighed, feeling anything but enlightened. She couldn't help but feel as though there was something she should have done, something the freedom fighters could've done to help these people. But what really disturbed her was the thought that she might never have found out about this place, or the people in it if it wasn't for their passing through.  
  
Sally could've slapped herself. In all of today's excitement and confusion, she had nearly forgotten why she had brought them all out here in the first place. The mission! Robotnik! Sally groaned, one more thing she had totally overlooked. Her rational side tried to tell her that it wasn't her fault, that other things had taken priority. Of course, if she always listened to her rational side, she wouldn't be in love with a certain blue hedgehog...  
  
"Speaking of Sonic," Sally thought as she walked over to where she had left her friends before looking for Olivia, she saw Sonic bent over double, laughing his head off. Then Sally saw why. Antoine was currently laying on his back looking dazed, as if a dragon had landed on him.  
  
"I don't need this." Sally moaned to the world. "I really just don't need this right now. Bunnie, what happened?"  
  
Looking sheepish, Bunnie turned to her best friend. "Well Sally-girl, after you high-tailed it outta here I thought that maybe Antoine should go talk to that Reynard girl. They both speak French after all."  
  
Sally cursed herself for not thinking of it herself. "That's brilliant Bunnie! But then what-?"  
  
"Well I don't rightly know what Antoine said to her, I don't speak French after all. But Antoine seemed, seemed--Well I don't know how to put this delicately...Antoine was being, was being-"  
  
"-Himself?" Sonic suggested with a smirk. Bunnie frowned at him but didn't disagree.  
  
"Whatever it was, it sure as shootin' ticked her off, so-"  
  
"Don't tell me." Sally groaned. "She slapped him too, didn't she?"  
  
"Slapped him? Sally-girl, she off and slugged him!"  
  
"She WHAT?" Sally asked.  
  
"That's right, and he dropped like a sack of potatoes too! He's been out of it ever since."  
  
"Terrific." Sally sighed. She looked around. "Where's Tails?" Bunnie smiled.  
  
"Over yonder." She pointed at adjacent wall. Tails was busy chasing a young lizard boy around and would then abruptly switch and become the hunted instead of the hunter. "He's been playing with that boy, Paul Stephanopoulos." Bunnie said, carefully pronouncing each syllable of his last name. Sonic just groaned and massaged his head.  
  
"Man, these names! Nuke-rashi, Zapa-legeti, Nuss-boom, Steven-oop-a-loose, it's all Greek to me!"  
  
"Actually Sonic, you're right."  
  
"Say what?" Sally smiled.  
  
"Stephanopoulos. It's Greek." Sonic just groaned.  
  
"I need a chilidog." Sally and Bunnie laughed.  
  
"I don't think they understand each other none, but they seem to be having a good enough time." Bunnie said, nodding towards the laughing Paul and Tails.  
  
"At least some of us are." Sally said ruefully. She turned to Rotor. "Rotor, do you think you could get a transmission through to Uncle Chuck?"  
  
Rotor scratched his head in thought. "If I boosted Nicole's output and piggy-backed the signal off of one of Robotnik's satellites, maybe. But it would be a weak signal, not very reliable. If I make it too strong then Robotnik would be able to trace the transmission to us and Uncle Chuck."  
  
"Okay Rotor. Do what you can." After Sally gave Nicole to Rotor she turned her thoughts to the raid they originally set out to accomplish. "Our raid on the refinery is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. But there doesn't seem to be anyway out of here except over the mountains..."  
  
"I'm not really looking forward to trying that again." Dulcy cut in. "Even if my wings somehow managed to heal themselves by then, I still probably wouldn't make it out."  
  
"...Or through the jungle." Sally finished. That cast a gloomy pall over the freedom fighters. Sally ran her fingers through her hair in thought. "The original plan was to signal the others once we got into position, and then we'd make our simultaneous raids."  
  
"What happens when they don't get the signal?" Dulcy asked.  
  
"They'll wait until they do. They won't make a move until we signal our readiness."  
  
"But if they stay out in the open, then old lard butt will-"  
  
"I know Sonic. If they stay out in the open too long, Robotnik will capture them." Even Sonic didn't have anything to say to that. Sally sighed. "All we can do now is try to make sense of this place and the people in it."  
  
"Then it would appear as though you've got your work cut out for you." A new voice interjected. They turned around to find a female Overlander in uniform. "Major Cadwaller at your service."  
  
"Major, you startled us." Sally said. "What was it that you were saying, Sir?"  
  
"First of all, I hate being called 'Sir,' military protocol or no. Second of all, you're dealing with a very odd crowd of people, myself included."  
  
"Oh? Well, since our guide is--shall we say, currently indisposed--would you care to show us around?" Sally asked.  
  
"I suppose so." She craned her head upwards. "You're in luck, there's a couple of our residents now."  
  
Sally looked up at a rather unusual sight. A hovering eagle was carrying a rabbit along side one of the walls, apparently inspecting it. Major Cadwaller shouted to them and they shouted back, in a different language of course. They had no sooner landed in front of them than the Major said;  
  
"Allow me to introduce Wladyslaw Sawatski and Vaclav Dubcek, our two biggest trouble makers." She spoke without anger, but it was clear that the language barrier didn't stop them from guessing what she said and it certainly didn't prevent them from cranking up the innocent act any.  
  
"Dzien dobry den." The two said, their greetings overlapping one another.  
  
"They remind you of anyone, Sally-girl?" Bunnie asked conspiratorially.  
  
"Nope, no one that comes to mind anyway." Sally whispered back in the same tone.  
  
Cadwaller gave a wry grin and shrugged. "Anyway, Wladyslaw here comes from Polska and Vaclav from Bohemia." She said, indicating the eagle and the rabbit, respectively. "Don't turn you backs on them though, I'm still having my other uniform cleaned from the last time they tried to give the barracks a fresh coat of paint." She shook her head. "Boys!" Bunnie gave Sally another conspiratorial look.  
  
"I think I could get to like her." Bunnie said. Sally nodded in agreement. The Major beckoned them over to the steps in front of the administration building.  
  
"Last, but not least, are our last two reprobates, Pedro Santiago and Jomo Uhuru." She nodded to a Chihuahua and a zebra who were busy trying to fix a broken shutter. When they realized they had an audience they stopped working and turned to their guests. Unfortunately, the zebra--Jomo--dropped a hammer he was working with, right on Pedro's foot. That itself caused no little ruckus and started a full fledged shouting match in which neither one knew that the other was saying. Major Cadwaller just shook her head and turned to Sally.  
  
"Welcome to my life in Hell." To the two squabbling Mobians she said, "All right you two, settle down! We have company."   
  
After a few more seconds of arguing the two shrugged and shook each other's hand. From the friendly, even amused expressions they each wore, Sally guessed that it was more of a game than a serious argument.  
  
"Oooo-boy. As I was saying, this is Jomo Uhuru of the Kikuyu." Cadwaller said waving to the zebra. He bowed slightly towards his guests and smiled.  
  
"Muriega."  
  
"And Pedro Santiago." The short Chihuahua bowed and gracefully kissed Sally's hand.  
  
"Hola, amigos. Buenos dias." Sally blushed at the gesture and blushed further at Bunnie's not-so subdued snickering. Of course that made it perfectly acceptable for Sally do laugh at Bunnie's embarrassment when Pedro did it to her. Sonic and Antoine just 'harumphed!' in jealousy and turned their backs. Sally just laughed, glad for even a temporary pause from the mysteries that were hidden within these walls and from the fact that she had no idea how to solve them.  
  
*** 


	11. Chapter Eleven

***  
  
Night fell and Sally was no closer to a solution than she was before. Weary, frustrated, and dead on her feet, Sally ordered the freedom fighters to catch some shut-eye. Apparently, she wasn't the only one. When they got to the barracks, she saw Olivia shooing her charges into bed. Sally couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Sally!" Olivia called. "Turning in?"  
  
"Yeah. Listen, if it's not too much trouble would you mind-?"  
  
"Not at all! We've got some extra sleeping bags, sorry we don't 'ave anything better but..."  
  
"I know. I saw, most of you are sleeping in bags on the floor too. We don't want preferential treatment."  
  
"All right, then. I talked to Sky Lynx and 'e agreed to let your friend Dulcy spend the night in 'is, er...place."  
  
"That's very generous of him." Sally said politely, though she suspected that neither Dulcy nor Sky Lynx would be happy with the arrangement. "How did he come to end up here anyway?"  
  
"Sky Lynx? Well, 'e first showed up about eight years ago. Said 'e flew into the valley to avoid some hovercraft patrols. 'e stayed a few weeks, then left. 'e comes back four or five times a year and spends a couple of weeks with us. Where 'e is the rest of the time, 'e doesn't say."  
  
"Hmmmm." Sally thought. "I wonder..." Just at that moment though, Rotor ran up to her.  
  
"Sally, I did as you asked." He handed Nicole over. After Olivia moved off, he added. "I don't know when Uncle Chuck will be able to respond or how long he can stay on."  
  
"Thank you Rotor, you've done more than enough." She bit back a yawn. "Get some sleep."  
  
"Heh. You first." Rotor grinned.  
  
"Rotor I don't-" She yawned, loudly. Looking sheepish, she sighed. "All right, point taken. Good night Rotor."  
  
"Good night Sally." As they headed up the stairs they found that Olivia had successfully shepherd just about everyone into bed. Within minutes, the lights were out and the low conversational murmuring silenced into nothing. Sally removed her boots and vest and climbed into her sleeping bag. She contentedly curled up inside and began to doze off.  
  
Sally awoke a short time later to the ever pleasant sound of Nicole beeping. "TRANSMISSION RECEIVED FROM UNCLE CHUCK." Sally groaned and grabbed Nicole from off her boot. "Shhhhhhh!" She hissed. Sally cautiously crawled out of her sleeping bag and headed over to the bathroom, trying not to step on anyone in the process.  
  
"Olivia was right." She thought sleepily. "There isn't a lot of privacy when over twenty people all sleep in the same room." Unfortunately for her, Olivia was right about one other thing too.  
  
Mikhail snored like a buzz-saw.  
  
As she carefully closed the bathroom door behind her, Sally flipped Nicole open and was greeted to the sight of a holographic Sir Charles Hedgehog.  
  
"Morning princess." He said cheerfully.  
  
"Too damn cheerfully." Sally thought bitterly, every fiber of her being just aching to go back to sleep. Still, she forced herself to sound happy. "Uncle Chuck! I'm really glad I managed get in contact with you." Too bad it was a two in the morning, she added mentally.  
  
"I'm always on duty. What is it that you need?"  
  
"A couple of things, actually. First, I need you to get in touch with Lupe and the others. Tell them that we may be delayed. If we don't contact them at our pre-scheduled time they are to wait fifteen minutes, then head back."  
  
"Understood. What else?"  
  
"I need you to find three things for me. First, I need topography charts, maps, and surveys of this location. Second, I need all the intelligence from the Great War on this region and one 'General Franklin.' And third, I need all the data from public records you can get from the Province of Russiya on the Dragoslav family. Can you do that?"  
  
"That's going to be tough." Uncle Chuck admitted. "Especially that last request. The outlying provinces aren't as accurate in their record keeping as Mobotropolis. Or as open about it. But I'll see what I can do." This hologram flickered, went out of focus, and then came back. "I have to go Sally. This signal isn't that strong and Robotnik might notice it if I stay on any longer. I'll send the data to you just as soon as I get it."  
  
"Thank you Uncle Chuck." Sally managed to say before the transmission winked out. Sally shut Nicole off and quietly crept back into the next room. As she headed back to bed she couldn't help but notice that something was different. Or to be more specific, missing.  
  
"It's quiet." Sally commented, which sounded horribly cliché but nevertheless true. After a second she realized what was different. "Mikhail stopped snoring." Was her first thought, but no. After her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, Sally noticed that two sleeping bags were empty. The next thing she noticed was a dim light coming from down the stairs.  
  
Deciding to investigate, Sally quietly headed down the stairs to the mess hall. There she saw to figures sitting at a table and talking by candle-light. One of them was Mikhail. The other, was Rosa Nussboym. They were speaking softly in Yiddish, which made it impossible for Sally to understand just what they were saying. But the tone of voice they both used was familiar in its warmth, its compassion. And there was no mistaking the gesture of Rosa putting her hand on Mikhail's or the soft kiss that cast shadows on the wall.   
  
Sally decided that it was a good a time as any to go back to bed. Though, despite her fatigue, she couldn't help but feel a smile tug at her lips. "Well," she decided as she crawled back into her sleeping bag. "At least I know why Mikhail's so tense around Rosa's brother..."  
  
*** 


	12. Chapter Twelve

***  
  
"Morning." Sally said to Sonic as she sat down for breakfast.  
  
"Morning, Sal. What's for breakfast?"  
  
"Not chilidogs." She said, answering the unasked question.  
  
"Ah, man..." Sally shook her head. Truth be told, even a chilidog would have been preferable to what was being served in the mess hall. It was a thin, watery, bland broth and a slice of bread. Just bread, not even butter. From what Sally had been able to discern, this was pretty much the standard as far as meals go around here.  
  
"No wonder they all look so thin." Sally murmured as she sipped her breakfast.  
  
"Good morning." Came a voice. Sally looked up to see Olivia sitting opposite her. " 'ow'd you sleep last night?"  
  
"Just fine." Sally said, wishing that it could've been a longer, UNINTERRUPTED sleep but...  
  
"Olivia, may I ask you something?" She nodded.  
  
"Of course. What about?"  
  
"I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about Mikhail Sergeivich. If you'll forgive my saying so, he seems a bit..."  
  
"Weird." Sonic cut in as he munched on his bread. Olivia shrugged.  
  
"That's just 'is way. He's liked well enough around here. Well, mostly."  
  
"Mostly?" Sally repeated.  
  
"Weeelll, the thing of it is, you see, that 'e's the only one 'ere who can translate from one language to another. So if say, I 'ad to 'ave a conversation with Rosa, I'd need to get Misha to act as a translator. But that makes it impossible for anyone to 'ave a one on one conversation 'ere, because we need 'im to 'elp us understand each other. There's little privacy, as you can well imagine and some people kind of resent Misha for that. But the up side is that 'e can 'old a conversation in their native tongue. Most of us would go balmy if we couldn't 'ave a chat in our own language every once in a while."  
  
"I see." Sally licked her lips in thought. "Overall, is he well liked?"  
  
"I reckon so. There may occasionally be friction, but that 'appens to all of us at one point or another. And 'e does tend to get on rather well with the Overlanders, but that's just on account of the fact that Colonel Franklin was his tutor. But yes, on the whole Mikhail's well thought of. A bit deceptive, but-"  
  
"-Deceptive?" Sally asked quickly. "What do you mean? Is he dishonest or-"  
  
"No, I said 'e was deceptive, which is not the same bleeding thing. Look at it this way, when you first met Misha, wot was your first impression of 'im?"  
  
"Well," Sally said with some thought "I guess I thought of him as being a bit...flighty. He seemed to go from one mood to the other so fast..."  
  
"I figured as much." Olivia said sagely. "Wot you may 'ave not noticed is that 'e's been playing to your perception of 'im. You've seen 'im nice, polite, annoyed, earnest, curious, and just plain bleeding mad!"  
  
"And how!" Sonic said in agreement.  
  
"You see?" Olivia nodded.  
  
"You're saying he's just acting? Trying to lull us into perceiving him in only one way? To get us to underestimate him?"  
  
"Got it in one." Olivia said approvingly. "I don't think everything 'e says and does is a scripted act, but I think Misha does tend to exaggerate certain parts of 'is personality to throw others off. 'E may not even be aware that 'e does it. Misha's, oh wot's the word...multifaceted, that's it. Goes from one end of the spectrum to the other with very little warning. I guess it's a defensive mechanism of some sort, but all I know for sure is that 'e is very good at making others underestimate 'im."  
  
"Kinda like what Ant does, only he tries to get others to overestimate him and he fails at it." Sonic said with a laugh. Sally tried not to laugh, but failed. The image was just too dead on. "He's pretty good at theatrics too." He added.  
  
"Who, Mikhail?" Sally asked.  
  
"Yeah, after he told Antoine off and you went to yak with Olivia-" Both girls snorted in derision and exchanged a glance of annoyance. "-I followed him to behind Sky Lynx's barn and he just started panting like he had been running for a month without a break. Then he started hacking like crazy! I thought he was gonna cough up a lung. Guess he musta seen me and decided to lay it on a bit thick, right Olivia? Er, Olivia?"  
  
Sally turned back and saw the older girl visibly pale, which was quite a feat considering she was covered in fur. " 'e told me he was feeling better, damn him!" Clearly agitated, she bolted from the table and went outside, leaving a stunned Sally and Sonic behind at the table.  
  
"Something I said?" Sonic asked in confusion. Sally was prevented from answering by Nicole's beeping. As she activated Nicole, she found that Uncle Chuck had sent the data she had been waiting for, along with an electronic note.  
  
"SALLY. I'VE MANAGED TO CONTACT LUPE AND THE OTHERS AND RELAYED YOUR MESSAGE. I HAVE ALSO SENT THE FILES YOU REQUESTED, THOUGH THERE WAS ONE PROBLEM. THERE IS NO RECORD FOR AN OVERLANDER NAMED 'GENERAL FRANKLIN' IN ROYAL MILITARY INTELLIGENCE ARCHIVES. MY APOLOGIES, BUT I COULD FIND NOTHING ABOUT HIM. I HOPE THE REST OF THE DATA I SENT WILL BE OF SOME USE TO YOU. GOOD LUCK. UNCLE CHUCK."  
  
Sally read the note aloud for Sonic's benefit then skimmed through the files Uncle Chuck sent. Most of what she requested was more-or-less what she expected. Maps, surveys, geological and topographical charts of the region, and so on. When she looked through the Dragoslav file, she stopped.  
  
"Sonic."  
  
"Yeah, Sal?"  
  
"Go get the others. Have them meet us out back. Now."  
  
"Sal? What's the big deal?"  
  
Sally told him.  
  
"I'll be back in half a sonic second." He said, oddly subdued. Sally barely felt the breeze caused by Sonic's usual high speed. Her eyes were still riveted on the report. Only three words could sum up what she was thinking.  
  
"Oh dear god."  
  
*** 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

***  
  
"So what's going on Sally?" Dulcy asked, idly massaging her still healing wings.  
  
"I asked Uncle Chuck to send whatever information he could about Mikhail Sergeivich's family. I just got it this morning."  
  
"And?" Antoine said impatiently. Obviously, he was not in the mood to think about the person who had so unceremoniously humiliated him yesterday. Sally just ignored him.  
  
"Perhaps I should just show you." Sally said. She hit a button on Nicole and all of a sudden, holographic images and words floated up. The first was an image of Mikhail himself. "This is Mikhail Sergeivich Dragoslav. Born May 25, 3218 in Russiya Province." The next image was of an older male red fox who bore a strong resemblance to Mikhail. "This is Sergei Vyacheslavovich Dragoslav, Mikhail's father. Born December 17, 3188; Died July 15, 3223."  
  
"Must've died during the Great War." Rotor said softly. Sally nodded. Another image replaced the first one, this one a vixen.  
  
"This is Nadezhda Nikolaiovna Dragoslav, Mikhail's mother. Born December 30, 3187. Status unknown, probably roboticized." Sally continued. Two more images floated up. "This is Alexander Sergeivich Dragoslav, Mikhail's older brother and Ekaterina Sergeiovna Dragoslav, his little sister." She waited for the images to dissipate before she continued. "It's his older brother's file I want you to look at." She entered a command and the said file sprang to life.  
  
Bunnie read it aloud. "Alexander Sergeivich Dragoslav, born May 19, 3205. Died...April 6, 3223. Oh mah stars. He was only eighteen! Another war victim?" She wondered.  
  
Sally shook her head. "I almost wish it was that simple." Deciding not to project the report via hologram, she chose instead to read it aloud. It was a police report.   
  
  
Subject Alexander Sergeivich was known to have made several unpatriotic and anti-Acorn remarks upon the outbreak of the Great War. Upon suspicion of treason, his belongings at the Russiya Imperial Academy were searched. Found was several books of a seditious nature, including Overlander publications, and a journal that was full of remarks and ideas considered treasonous to the Tsar of Russiya and King Maximillian Acorn himself.  
  
  
She paused.   
  
  
When he was called in for questioning, he went underground and sold himself to the highest bidder. He became a paid agent for the Overlanders and attempted to subvert loyal citizens and denounced the monarchy. He then went on to sabotage Royal Army supplies and then...  
  
  
Sally shut her eyes as she recited the worst part.   
  
  
...he went on a rampage of terror and planted bombs in a local establishment, killing seventeen people before being killed in a shoot out with the police. It is the opinion of this officer that he could not have acted alone. He would have needed assistance, probably a family member. His younger brother, Mikhail Sergeivich, fled the country almost immediately afterward. Eluding capture, he fled to the capital, Mobotropolis. He is considered an accessory to terrorism and treason and is to be remanded to the custody of the authorities as soon as possible.  
  
  
"This report was dated September 16, 3223." Sally finished, her voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Sacre-bleu cheese." Antoine said, stunned. Dulcy shook her head in amazement, Rotor dropped his hat, Bunnie's eyes watered, Sonic clenched his fists, and Sally just looked at the ground.  
  
"His older brother was a terrorist. And Mikhail was his accomplice." She breathed. "That's why he fled to Mobotropolis. That's why he doesn't want to talk about his past, that's why he's so deceptive, that's why he cooperates with the Overlanders so freely, and that's why he hates the House of Acorn."  
  
*** 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

***  
  
Stunned silence reigned for a long time after that. No one knew what to say. Before she knew what she was doing, Sally was running full steam towards the one place she knew she would find Mikhail. The library.  
  
Sally paused before she opened the door. She took a deep breath and then, slowly entered. She headed down the dim library to the same dimly lit back room she found Mikhail last time. Sure enough, there he was, pouring over old books.  
  
His ear twitched as she came over and sat down opposite him. "Privet." He said in an off-hand manner, not taking his attention away from his reading. Sally decided to talk to him first, before she dropped the bombshell.  
  
"What are you reading?" Trying to sound as interested as she could.  
  
"An old human book."  
  
"Human?"  
  
"Oh, it's an old term for Overlander. I've began to theorize that the history of the people we call Overlanders stretch back farther than Mobian historians think. It's an interesting history these humans have. I don't think they've been given enough credit."  
  
"Oh?" Sally asked. "What's so interesting about them?"  
  
"Their history is full of contradictions. Horrible tyrants and selfless patriots. Disgrace and honor, despair and hope, ruthless cynicism and lofty ideals...It's just astounding. I've learned so much about them since I started coming here. Here, let me read a sample." He cleared his throat.  
  
  
  
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government....  
  
  
  
"I see." Sally said evenly, not missing his less than subtle critique of the Mobian government.  
  
"There's more, a whole lot more." He lifted up the book he was reading from. It was a book of quotes and speeches. "I have a dream....Fourscore and seven years ago...An Iron Curtain has descended...History will absolve me...the history of all hitherto existing society...Live free or die...These people are geniuses, orators, inventors, leaders, and heroes. An entire history full of people like these."  
  
"I take it you're a history buff." Sally said, her interest piqued.  
  
"Da. Funny, I always dreamt of being a teacher or a professor, but I always thought of being an archeologist. Looking at the past to create the future. But as you can see, things didn't quite pan out that way." He cocked his head. "I take it you didn't come here to talk about history, did you?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, I DID come to talk about history. Namely yours." Sally left Nicole right in front of him, the police file still open. With a raised eyebrow, Mikhail took a look. After several minutes of anxious silence he tossed Nicole back to Sally.  
  
"It's the same typical sloppy work I've come to expect of the Oprichniki." He said, his voice tight but not full of the righteous denial Sally expected.  
  
"Are you saying you deny what this report says about you and your brother?" She asked. Mikhail snorted.  
  
"Of course, as I said, it's the same kind of lies and falsifications that I've come to expect from the monarchy." He said with a slight sneer. Sally near-legendary patience was come to a breaking point.  
  
"If this report is wrong, then what is your problem?" She all but snapped. "I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt but you're really pushing my limits." Mikhail climbed out of his seat and walked around the table to face Sally directly.  
  
"You really want to know? Fine, I'll tell you my little sob story, I just hope you'll manage not to have me arrested before I finish!"  
  
Sally didn't interrupt. She got the feeling he'd been wanting to say this for over a decade. She wasn't going to begrudge him that. Mikhail took a deep breath and started again.  
  
"I guess it began when Sasha, my older brother, went to the Imperial Academy. We weren't very rich, not poor by any means, but not rich either. He was accepted on scholarship for some of his more brilliant literary work. Sasha always was the author of the family." He shook his head. "At any rate, Sasha never took to the Academy. It was full of snotty rich kids, the children of boyars, nobility. It was too restrictive for someone like him. He eventually ended up joining an illicit study group that began questioning the current order, why a Tsar ruled all of Russiya and why a King ruled all of Mobius when they obviously didn't speak for the people as a whole."  
  
Sally was curious, but said nothing.  
  
"Then, he did what the Tsarist police deemed unthinkable. He made contact with an Overlander kid in a settlement a couple of kilometers away. They exchanged letters, books, ideas and eventually became friends."  
  
"Then came the Great War." Sally said, guessing the next part.  
  
"War is anything but great." Mikhail said bitterly. "War is hell. The war had already been going on for sometime but it was proving to be anything but the swift, decisive conflict that both sides predicted it would be. Eventually, the Tsar decided that this Overlander settlement posed a potential threat, despite the fact that is was unarmed, and planned to send his troops in to stamp it out. Naturally, Sasha had a problem with that and sent a letter of protest. The next thing he knew, his Academy roomed was being searched and he was declared a traitor. Sasha got out just ahead of the secret police."  
  
Sally wanted to ask, but kept her peace. She needed to here it from him.  
  
"Sasha met with his Overlander friend and told him about the planned invasion, he managed to help get most of the women and children out before the Royal troops struck. Then Sasha went back to our home town and started protesting the war, publicly. He even staged a couple of protests and sit-ins over the next few years. During his last protest he was criticizing the racist stereotype of the Overlanders when the Oprichniki showed up." Mikhail paused, his eyes staring straight into Sally's.  
  
"Those bastards came in firing, not caring who was in the way. In five minutes, seventeen people were dead and my brother was shot in the leg. And then they killed him." Sally's chest collapsed as if Robotnik had sat on her.  
  
"Oh my god." She thought to herself as she stared into his eyes. His eyes started welling up with tears.  
  
"They killed him." He repeated. "I-I watched them hang him right outside my house as a warning. And there was nothing I could do, I was only five years old."  
  
"Impossible." Sally said, not even thinking about what she was saying. "There's no way something like that could happen..." If Sally was distressed, then Mikhail was livid. His voice rose and his face all but burst into flame.  
  
"Believe it Princess, I was there! I SAW my brother get led up the gallows, I FELT my parent's tears, I SMELLED the executioner's disdain for life, and I HEARD the cracking of my brother's neck! It haunts me, every night I hear that 'CRACK'! Have you ever heard the sound of a neck snapping? I'd be more than happy to show you...  
  
Then, all of a sudden his voice changed. It went from one of immense anger to one that was impossibly small and frightened. "Nothing was the same after Sasha died." He whimpered. "My father was a great man, most respected person in town. A leader of the dissident movement. Trying to push for reforms. Then after Sasha...he just crawled into the bottle and never came out. When he came home, he would never met our eyes." He shook his head.  
  
"Then after months and months of recovery and sobering up, my father was almost back to his old self again..." His face hardened. "Then they called him up to fight in the war his eldest son died trying to stop."  
  
At every new turn in the story, Sally felt her stomach wrench as if she had swallowed something that strongly disagreed with her. Mikhail never stopped, he continued his story as if he took no notice of her discomfort.  
  
"One day, after many indecisive and bloody battles with the Overlanders over here in the West, he was heard to say 'Why fight in this war? I don't hate the John Overlander and I'm sure he doesn't hate me, It would make more sense to me if we turned our guns on our officers instead!' As you can imagine, the comment did not go over well. They sent him to the front, where coincidentally, a lot of foreigners and dissidents served. He died there, for King and Country." He spat in scorn.  
  
"Mikhail, I-I'm so sorry." Sally started.  
  
"You think the story ends there, Princess? Oh no, there's MUCH more! After my father's death I had to drop out of school to find work. Then after a dispute some little rich dandy started with me, I struck him. Chipped two of his teeth too." He said with no little pride. "In response, my entire family was deported as 'undesirables.' The last image I have of my home is of it being ransacked and then burned to the ground by the Oprichniki."   
  
He laughed and turned to Sally. "You'd think that things would've gotten better when my family--what was left of it--and I arrived in Mobotropolis harbor, but no! As soon as we get off the boat, I was pulled aside and placed in a 'Reform School' for bad little children who didn't worship their monarchs enough. They never let me see my mother or my little sister! Never! I couldn't even contact them! For eight months it was the same thing, me and all the other bad children were told how lucky we were to be ruled by a foreign king and how grateful we should be that we lived under his heel. They insisted that we learn English, shoved it down our throats! Any time anyone was caught speaking anything but 'Proper English,' we received a slap in the face and were told to 'Speak White!' "  
  
"Mikhail, I..."  
  
"When ever I was disobedient or tried to find my mother they made me kneel on sharp rocks and even glass, for hours on end! I was denied food, sleep, everything! But they never broke me, no. I learned this damn language and I waited and waited until the chance came. And it did, the day the war ended. Everyone was celebrating, so no one noticed when I sneaked out and found my family living in a wretched little dive near the docks. Everything was finally starting to look up." He added wistfully, "After the worst year of our lives, losing Sasha and father, being deported, separated, it was finally over. We thought everything was going to be okay."  
  
He sighed. "Then, a week later..."  
  
"Robotnik." Sally said, adding just one more reason to hate that obese ball of megalomania.  
  
"Robotnik." Mikhail agreed through clenched teeth. "Mother and Katya, my little sister were taken and-and..."  
  
"Roboticized." Sally put in quietly. "I-I don't know what to say except, that I'm sorry for your loss." Even to her, the words sounded frail and hollow. To Mikhail, they sounded like an insult. He erupted, went mad with grief and rage.  
  
"You're sorry? You're sorry?!" He shrieked. "For what? The fact that the Tsar who hounded and destroyed my family was YOUR father's vassal in my homeland? The fact that YOUR father started the war that ruined my family, and so many others? That YOUR father's kingdom lords over all of Mobius, yet is so provincial that it doesn't give a damn what happens outside of Mobotropolis? That YOUR family's kingdom has stepped on Slavs like me as if they were nothing more than bugs? That they think of us only as drunk, illiterate peasants? That YOUR so called 'Greater Kingdom of Acorn' isn't all that great for Slavs, Arabs, Jews, and the other peoples who live in the Eastern Hemisphere? That YOUR father's man in Russiya killed my brother and drove my father to alcoholism? That YOUR father's officers sent my father to die at the Front? That YOUR father trusted Robotnik and let him take over? That YOUR father beat his language into me, that I have to speak every language here, but my own? That I haven't had a conversation in Russian for eleven years? That I have nothing to remind me of my home or my native culture, not even so much as a god damn samovar?! That YOUR father sent me to be beaten, starved, and tried to brainwash me into being GRATEFUL to him for destroying my family and my people?! For what do you have to be sorry about?!" Sally's first impulse was to run away from this spectacle, but she reminded herself that the tortured being in front of her was entitled to his anger. Still, she had never seen such an explosion of fury before and had no wish to see it ever again. Unfortunately, it wasn't over yet.  
  
"I HATE YOU! YOU ROYAL SCUM RUINED MY LIFE!!!" He roared as he lunged for Sally.  
  
*** 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

***  
  
Several things happened at once; Mikhail lunged at Sally and Sally grabbed an object off the table. With nary a thought, she slammed the book hard, across his face and sent Mikhail sailing back into a bookcase. Then he fell to the ground and laid still, prone on the floor. Sally's chest heaved in exhaustion.  
  
"Oh my god, did I kill him?!" She wondered in a moment of panic. She shook her head. No, he was alive. Though it looked like that hurt him a whole lot more than it should have. Throwing caution to the wind, Sally knelt down and shook his shoulder. Mikhail groaned.  
  
"Oy, what the hell did you hit me with?!" He didn't sound like someone who just lunged at a person, he sounded like someone who was hurt and confused. Sally checked the book's spine.  
  
"Uh, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy."  
  
"Yeah, that would do it." He groaned again as he propped his back up against the wall. He absently rubbed the side of his head. "Gavno, that HURT."  
  
Sally, looked him over. He certainly did not seem like a healthy, robust individual. In point of fact, he looked pretty sickly, even if she hadn't heard Sonic's description of his ailments. Looking back, he probably posed little physical threat, and he probably knew it.  
  
"Are you all right?" She asked, slowly dropping the book back on the desk.  
  
"No." He said bluntly. "I'm a mess." He drew himself up, using a lot more effort then a healthy person would have. "Bozhemoi, I hate this. I hate being a second-class citizen, I hate being a refugee, and I hate being a virtual invalid!"  
  
"You're not well, are you?" Sally asked, even though she already knew the answer.  
  
"No, I'm not. Look at me! I used to work as a smithies assistant, now look at me! I can't even run for more than five minutes without feeling like I'm going to pass out. I'm always the first to get sick and the last to recover. If I can't stand the chill here, how am I ever going to survive the cold back home?"  
  
Sally's insides clenched. This was too much. She had to sit down. Mikhail just opened a desk drawer and took something out. Sally barely registered his action until something small and sharp sailed past. She turned around just in time to a dart embed itself in a photo of her father on the wall.  
  
"Ouch." She winced. She cleared her throat. "You really..." she choked on the next word, "Hate my father, don't you?"  
  
"Whatever gave you that idea?" He growled sarcastically as he reached for another dart.  
  
"We...he...I didn't know. If he knew what happened, he would've--"  
  
"--supported everything the Tsar did." Mikhail cut in. "Don't pull that with me. King Max has a record of supporting whatever his underlings in the out-flung provinces does, as did his father before him, and HIS father before him!"  
  
"You don't know that!" Sally snapped back.  
  
"I do know that! You think I'm the only Mobian to ever get screwed by our beloved monarchy? Wrong. Everyone of your father's minions, whether their title be Tsar, Kaiser, Shah, Sultan, Rajah, Mikado, Emperor, or Duke, invariably answers to him. If they transgress, then it's his fault."  
  
"That's not fair." Sally said, her voice small.  
  
"Don't talk to me about not fair!" Mikhail yelled back. "If what you say is true, IF this goes on without Max's rubber stamp of approval, so what? So he kills by neglect instead of intent. Is that really any better?"  
  
"Surely you don't think that life under Robotnik is any better." Sally said, not expecting an argument.  
  
"Let's see. One enslaved my mother and my sister, the other killed my father and brother. One tyrant has flesh, the other has fur. One is big and fat, the other small and thin. One has a metal arm, the other, a metal heart. Those are the ONLY differences I've noticed thus far!"  
  
"Your hardly being objective." Sally said, her voice gone cold.  
  
"You ask for objectivity? Fine, how's this for you. Look at the word 'Kingdom.' The King comes first and the lands and people he rules come afterward, almost as an afterthought. Now let's look at the word 'Republic.' " He drew the word out, almost as if he were tasting a forbidden food. "The word for people is at the center of the word, it's very core, as it should be! See the difference?"  
  
Sally paused before answering. "I know what you're trying to say and I understand where you're coming from."  
  
"Do you? How would you know?! When did you ever know hunger, fear, of wonder where your next meal might come from?! You never--" He broke down then and there. He dissolved into unashamed sobbing as he cried out in Russian. Sally knelt down next to him and gently rubbed his back, wondering what god she must've offended to be put in this situation.  
  
" 'e told you, didn't 'e?" A voice from behind asked. Sally nodded, never taking her eyes of Mikhail.  
  
"Yes, Olivia. He did." Sally shook her head. "I had no idea..."  
  
"And that, may be the most tragic thing about this whole bloody business." As they helped Mikhail to his feet, Sally tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Mikhail, I'm so sorry." She said, one of the most heartfelt apologies she ever made. Mikhail mumbled something to Sally. "What did he say?" She asked Olivia.  
  
" 'e said, 'call me Misha.' "  
  
*** 


	16. Chapter Sixteen

***  
  
Sally left the library feeling even more befuddled and confused than she did when she entered. "This place gets more and more confusing every minute." She turned her head over to the barracks where Olivia half-carried, half-dragged Mikhail--Misha, Sally reminded herself. Misha to after their encounter. She said she was going to take Misha to bed, maybe he'd feel better after resting and a taking a nice hot shower.  
  
"Not the worst idea I've ever heard." Sally had to admit. The way the past two days had been going, it was a miracle she hadn't torn her hair out. She also realized that trying to figure this place out had taken her away from her friends and her mission far too often. No more.  
  
When she met up with her friends again, Bunnie was busy scolding Tails over something or other. As she got closer, Sally managed to pick up what they were saying.  
  
"...but, Aunt Bunnie-"  
  
"No buts sugah! What you did was completely- "  
  
"What happened?" Sally asked as she stepped forward.  
  
"I was just trying to help!" Tails said as innocently as he could.  
  
"Bunnie?"  
  
"A little while ago, ol' Sky Lynx went flying out over the jungle and Tails decided to follow him."  
  
"Tails..." Sally began to scold, but stopped. "Did you see anything useful?"  
  
"Sally-girl?" Bunnie asked in confusion.  
  
"Well...I did see him drop something into the trees. Then there was a loud sound and then he started spitting fireballs! It was way past cool!" Sally frowned but didn't bother to scold Tails anymore than Bunnie had already done. The cogs in her mind were spinning again and she knew what was coming.  
  
"Another damn mystery." She thought sourly. The last one she just solved took a lot more out of here than she would've liked. Speaking of which...Sonic chose that moment to pipe up.  
  
"Yo, Sal? Did you find out what the deal was with our rotten Russian renegade?"  
  
"He's no terrorist, Sonic. He's a victim, many times over and I have no intention to victimize him further."  
  
"What makes you so sure, Sally?" Rotor asked in confusion. "I thought the reports..." She shook her head.  
  
"Reports can be faked. I read the whole thing over again, it's full of little inconsistencies and contradictions. And trying to make a five year old an accomplice to terrorism? It's too much."  
  
"But how are you to be knowing for surez?" Antoine insisted.  
  
"I used Nicole to scan him while we talked. She acted like a polygraph machine, divining truth from lies. He told me nothing but the truth the whole time. He's innocent, and so was his brother. Nicole's confirmed it." Nicole beeped, demanding Sally's attention. Once she got it, she kept it. Sally read over the results of another scan she had Nicole run and closed her eyes. Not her day at all.  
  
*** 


	17. Chapter Seventeen

***  
  
"Princess Sally, what a pleasure it is to meet you alone at last." Lieutenant Colonel Franklin said graciously as he offered Sally a seat in his office. "After so many years of fighting Mobians, I find it refreshing to open a dialogue. Don't you?"  
  
"Indeed." Sally said as she sat down. "Now that I've fully explored this facility and its denizens, I think we can help each other out."  
  
"Oh?" The Colonel said, ever the cool customer. "What do you think we need help with?"  
  
"For starters, I hardly think you consider those creatures in the jungle to be good neighbors." Sally returned.  
  
"Too true." He agreed. "But what can you do about that?"  
  
"We're Freedom Fighters, Colonel. It's our specialty to deal with problems like these."  
  
"That may very well be, but what makes you think we can't handle this ourselves?" He smiled, as if amused.  
  
"Colonel, I've managed to piece most of this puzzle together. I know why you have Sky Lynx dropping sonic bombs in the forest, I know you can't be happy being trapped in these walls, and I KNOW that most of your charges can't survive this much longer."  
  
He frowned but said nothing. Sally took that as an invitation to continue. "When I talked to Misha earlier, I had my computer scan him for any signs of past ailments. I thought perhaps we could have some of our friends drop off medical supplies. Do you know what those scans told me? Misha is still showing the aftereffects of small pox, tuberculosis, cholera, and influenza. His immune system is shot, it's a wonder he's still able to carry on in a semi-normal way. But even so, he can't live like that. He's-" Sally felt her voice tremble for a second but pushed on, "-he's dying. He wont live another two years like this. Assuming that you even care-"  
  
"Of course I care." He snapped, his cool facade gone for the first time. "I was his teacher for the last ten years. And he's my best pupil. I had a son his age, so much alike. Both of them bright, intelligent, and sensitive." He shook his head. "I lost two of my sons in the Great War. I'll be damned before I lose Misha. Don't you DARE claim for a second that I don't think of Misha, of ALL of them, as my children. Is that clear?" He said, as if he were addressing a raw recruit.  
  
"Crystal. And I apologize, but my point stands. They need to go someplace that has doctors, medical supplies, adequate food and shelter..."  
  
"I know, Princess." Franklin said tiredly. "I know. We've been trying to get rid of those pests for some time now. But we just can't get rid of all of them. As you deduced, we found that the creatures are sensitive to certain sonic pitches. Certain ultrasonic pitches frighten the creatures off and certain hypersonic pitches attract them. Sky Lynx drops sound resonators in the jungle to drive them into the open. Then he...dispatches them."  
  
"Destroys them, you mean." Sally clarified.  
  
"Correct. Unfortunately, you can never get rid of all of those damned things. Our best estimates say there are still about two dozen of them. It's slow work, it requires time."  
  
"Time you don't have." Sally said, finishing his thought for him. "Which brings me back to my original point, we can help you. We've been in tough scrapes before, we can handle those things in the jungle and clear the path to the tunnel caves. I assume you know how to navigate those."  
  
"We have maps." He nodded. "You did your homework, very good. But I can't help but wonder what you want in return?"  
  
Damn, he was sharp. Sally couldn't help but think. Ah well, no point in pretending to be a philanthropist. "My people and I have a raid scheduled tomorrow evening on one of Robotnik's oil refineries." Franklin growled at the name. "It's only a short distance away and whatever help you could offer us would be vastly appreciated." Sally finished.  
  
He drummed his fingers on his desk, clearing considering his options. Sally had already thought it out. If Colonel Franklin agreed to help in the raid, then not only would the raid itself be far easier, but it could potentially alter the shape of the war. Overlanders and Mobians fighting side by side for the first time in history! That would give Robotnik more than his fair share of sleepless nights and give the freedom fighters a much needed morale boost. However, that might also bring Robotnik's attention to his Overlander brethren whose Empire had collapsed after the Great War, and if Robotnik were to seek revenge...  
  
Sally stopped herself. The Colonel was a smart man, he could draw his own conclusions. But if he WERE to agree, then this would be the start in a new chapter in Overlander/Mobian relations...  
  
The Colonel stood up and walked over to the window, his back turned to Sally. "Granted."  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Sally blinked.  
  
"I accept your terms, you dispose of those beasts and we'll help you destroy that bastard's refinery." His voice was so harsh that Sally couldn't help but be surprised at the intensity.  
  
"Sir, if you don't mind my saying so, you seem to be taking this rather personally."  
  
"There's reason." Sally frowned trying to think why he would take Robotnik so personally. Then she remembered the lack of files on 'General Franklin' and then it all came together.  
  
"Your name wasn't always Franklin, was it?"  
  
"It sounded better," He said sourly, "Than Kintobor." Catching Sally's gaze he nodded. "Oh yes, I'm related to that bloated bag of scum, not that I boast about it. We're cousins, in case you're wondering."  
  
Sally unconsciously felt the fur on the back of her neck stand on end at the thought of being related to Robotnik. She shuddered.  
  
"You see my problem." The Colonel observed. "He betrayed my people and then betrayed yours. I'd say he's a compulsive traitor. My entire family was disgraced because of him. And when I saw those children that were...disposed because of his takeover...." He shook his head. "Those kids wouldn't have been in that situation if he hadn't launched his coup."  
  
"So you felt it was your responsibility to help them, make up for your cousin's misdeeds." Sally guessed.  
  
"Precisely. Though it cost me my rank and my good name, I have no regrets. Save for the fact that I couldn't do more for them."  
  
"Perhaps you can, by making Robotnik pay for what he's done to them and their loved ones." Sally urged. Franklin nodded.  
  
"Agreed. But, how are you going to deal with our friends in the jungle?"  
  
"I'll think of something." Sally promised.  
  
"I thought you would."  
  
*** 


	18. Chapter Eighteen

***  
  
"So what's the plan, Sal?"  
  
"Sonic, I've gone over it three times!"  
  
"Well I couldn't hear over my growling stomach! I need chilidogs!"  
  
"Then maybe you'd better pay attention this time so we can complete our mission and go home."  
  
"Fine, fine. So what's this great plan of yours?" Sally shook her head.  
  
"Okay, once more from the top. The Overlanders have developed ultrasonic weapons designed to drive the creatures out of their hiding places and into the open. Tomorrow morning we use the devices to smoke them out. Once they're out in the open, we use a variant of the weapon to lure them to this spot here," Sally pointed at one of Nicole's holographic maps "And ambush them. The maps Uncle Chuck gave us indicate that there's a sealed mine there. We can open it and once we lure them inside, blast it shut again."  
  
"That's cool, Sal! Way past!"  
  
"So glad you approve." Sally drawled. "Now, there's one last thing to do before we can get started."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Arrange for our weapon delivery system." Sally said enigmatically.  
  
"Our WHAT?"  
  
"You'll see."  
  
  
  
Ten Minutes Later-  
  
"Absolutely not!" Sky Lynx roared. "You want me to do WHAT?!"  
  
"We want you to carry one or two of our people over the jungle while they drop the sonic charges." Sally repeated, sounding much more patient than she felt. "I really don't see what the problem is."  
  
"You expect me to carry people around and be some, some beast of burden?" Sky Lynx cried out in disbelief. "I'm a dragon, not a pasha!"  
  
"Dulcy has never given us trouble when she's been asked to ferry us around." Sally said reasonably.  
  
"Yeah, look at her now." He shot back. "What she does is her own business, but I will NOT act as a personal carrier to anyone! It's a disgrace!" Sky Lynx turned and stomped off, his tail swishing behind him.  
  
"That went well." She sighed to herself. "Now what?" She asked aloud.  
  
"I guess you'd have to talk to someone who Sky Lynx listens to." A voice from behind said. Sally whirled in surprise to find Major Cadwaller standing behind her.  
  
"And who would that be?" She asked the Major.  
  
"The only person Sky Lynx ever let ride him." Sally raised an eyebrow. "Misha."  
  
"Misha?" Sally repeated. "Why did Sky Lynx let Misha ride him."  
  
"Well it so much wasn't an issue of him LETTING Misha ride, he kind of caught him when he fell off the barracks roof. Caught him a split second before our favorite Russian would've become street pizza." Sally winced at the mental image.  
  
"So, would Misha be able to convince Sky Lynx to let him carry us over the jungle?" Sally asked, trying to move past that...colorful thought.  
  
"Perhaps. Or perhaps not. As I'm sure you noticed, Sky Lynx can be very obstinate. But by all accounts, so can Misha. I'd say you have a fifty-fifty chance."  
  
"Where is he now?" Sally asked.  
  
"Asleep." The Major answered. "I just spoke with Olivia. She said she just got him to bed, said he wasn't feeling well. I guess you'll have to talk to him in the morning."  
  
Sally couldn't help but frown. The raid on the refinery was at dusk and given the time they would need to trap the jungle beasts and then rest up for the raid...It would be cutting it close, Sally decided. But since she felt that Misha's "exhaustion" was partially her fault, she wouldn't begrudge him his much needed rest.  
  
"Tomorrow morning then." Sally agreed.  
  
The first thing Sally did the following morning was to immediately look for Misha. Unfortunately, she had trouble finding him, he almost seemed to be avoiding her. "No, scratch that ALMOST." She corrected herself. He WAS avoiding her. "Three guesses why." She added sardonically. She shook her head, she didn't need this. After a near-frantic half hour of searching, Sally found him casually sitting on the steps of the administration building.  
  
"Dobroye utro." He said, perfectly nonchalant.  
  
"Misha, we have to talk-"  
  
"I know, I already spoke with Colonel Franklin. You need me to convince Sky Lynx to carry your people over the jungle, da?"  
  
"Well, yes but-"  
  
"No buts! Now, you've spent the entire morning looking for me, correct?"  
  
"Yes." Sally sighed, this was going to be harder than she thought.  
  
"I thought as much." He shrugged. "I suppose that's why I convinced Sky Lynx to go along with your plan an hour ago."  
  
"You what?" Sally said in disbelief. "But I thought that you-"  
  
"Hated you?" He finished. "I thought I did, tried to convince myself that I did. But..." Misha shook his head. "Look, I'm not proud of how I acted yesterday. For me the monarchy will always be the beast that killed my brother, the monster under the bed, the demon that haunts my dreams. But that doesn't include someone who was as young as I was when all of...it happened. It's not your fault, never was. And I'm sorry I blamed you for my hardships."  
  
"There's nothing to apologize for." Sally said, a bit taken aback. "I-I don't know what to say."  
  
"If I may make a suggestion, perhaps you should head over to the main courtyard. Sky Lynx is waiting for you and your people. I suggest you don't keep him waiting."  
  
*** 


	19. Chapter Nineteen

***  
  
Sally had wasted no time in getting the operation underway. Within moments, she and Rotor took to the air atop of a cranky white dragon in a foul mood. Sonic sped out into the jungle, carrying Bunnie to the predestined mine shaft in the mountainside before running back.  
  
Dulcy, Tails, and Antoine stayed behind, eagerly awaiting any news. Over the jungle, Sky Lynx and his passengers were in position.  
  
"Prepare to drop the charges!" Sally shouted over the wind.  
  
"Right, Sally!" Rotor called back.  
  
"Now!" Sitting atop Sky Lynx, the two dropped a dozen ultrasonic charges into the heart of the jungle. Within moments, anguished hypersonic cries rose from the trees. Sally couldn't see it for herself, but darting through the trees was none other than Sonic the Hedgehog. He would deposit sonic charges set to another frequency, one that would attract the beasts and lure them to the now open mine shaft where Bunnie was waiting.  
  
"Look, Sally!" Rotor called. He pointed at a plume of rising dust from somewhere in the jungle a result, no doubt, of Sonic's high speed.  
  
"Looking good so far." Sally called. "Thanks Sky Lynx!" The white dragon snorted.  
  
"You're ever so welcome." His voice dripped with false sincerity. "When we get back, remind me to toast a certain Russian's backside."  
  
"Only if you're prepared to risk Dulcy's wrath over it." Sally warned. "Misha did us all a favor."  
  
Sky Lynx just snorted and mumbled something under his breath. Sally shook her head. Still, if nothing else, Sky Lynx was a good flier. No sudden jerks, bobbing, or potential crashing. It was a smooth ride. Too bad he had such an ego though.  
  
"Nicole, track movement of the creatures. How soon will they arrive at the mine?"  
  
"TRACKING." Nicole hummed for a minute. "I AM NOW TRACKING MOVEMENTS OF UNIDENTIFIED CREATURES HEADING TOWARDS THE MINE SHAFT. ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL IS IN ONE MINUTE, THIRTY SECONDS."  
  
"Thank you Nicole." Sally said as she squinted at the place where Bunnie was waiting. Sally waited, fingers-crossed as Nicole counted down.  
  
"TEN...NINE...EIGHT...SEVEN...SIX..."  
  
What would be going through Sonic's mind? Through Bunnie's?  
  
"...THREE...TWO...ONE..." A series of explosions rocked the mountainside, the dust and ash easily visible from up high. "MINE SHAFT SEALED, SALLY." Nicole chirped.  
  
"All right! Mission accomplished." Rotor crowed. Sally smiled.  
  
"Now all we have to do is go pick up Bunnie."  
  
"Looks like Sonic's already on his way back." Rotor added, noticing the plume of dust was now heading back towards the barracks. Rotor winced. "Looks like he Sonic Spun his way through the door."  
"Typical male bravado." Sally said. Rotor just grinned.  
  
"If you say so."  
  
"And I do." Sally would've said more but Nicole cut her off.  
  
"WARNING, FOUR MORE CREATURES HAVE BEEN SIGHTED HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE GARRISON. THEY APPARENTLY ARE ATTRACTED TO THE SOUNDS SONIC MAKES WHEN HE BREACHES THE SOUND BARRIER."  
  
"WHAT?!" Sally yelled. Her face paled. "Oh no, Sonic took the door out. There's nothing to stop those things! Back to the garrison Sky Lynx! And step on it!"  
  
*** 


	20. Chapter Twenty

* * *  
  
"Look out!"  
  
"Madre de Dios!"  
  
"Kill it!"  
  
"Kyrie eleison!"  
  
"Watch out for that-!"  
  
It was pandemonium. Sally felt her chest tighten as Sky Lynx came in for a landing on top of the barracks. The four remaining creatures were running amuck in the breached garrison, sending both Mobians and Overlanders into fearful flights. Sally's first instinct was to blame herself for not foreseeing this possibility, the next was to find some way to stop those things.  
  
"Sky Lynx! Get them out of those things' reach!" For once, Sky Lynx didn't have a complaint or comeback to make. He swooped down like a great bird of prey and carried away his friends in his talons. Unfortunately, he was only one dragon and there were four monsters.  
  
"AAARRRGHH!!" An anguished cry rose from the ground. Sally peered over in distress.  
  
"Oh my god!" David Nussboym, writhing in agony, clutched at his bloodied arm as one of the beasts circled around, waiting to finish the job. Sally searched the sky for the white dragon, but he was busy elsewhere.  
  
"Get away from him!" Sally shouted as she slid down a drainage pipe. But even she knew that she was going to be too late. Suddenly, the beast was hit in the nose by a small rock. It shook its head, only to be struck a second time. It turned towards it's thrower, who was currently spouting all sorts of Russian invectives.  
  
"Move, Misha!" Sally shouted. "What are you waiting for?" The beast lunged and Sally shut her eyes. When she opened them again, Misha had darted out of the way and revealed a large and very ticked off Dulcy. The creature stopped in its tracks at the sight of the large, imposing dragon. Dulcy grinned.  
  
"Beat it, ugly!" One swing of her tail later, and the creature was yelping away, one leg moving very stiffly. Sally breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"That was too close!" She paused. "What are you waiting for? Get up to the roof!"  
  
It took some doing, but Sky Lynx somehow managed to lift Dulcy onto the roof and carefully did the same for David. Sally breathed a bit easier when they were all on the high ground. But the relaxation was short lived. "Where's Tails?!"  
  
"Vot on!" Misha shouted, too nervous to consider what language he was using. Sally held her hands to her mouth. Down below, Tails and Paul were trapped between a pair of the menacing creatures. Tails wouldn't have enough time to gain sufficient altitude before he and Paul were ripped to shreds.  
  
And Sally was too far away. Fortunately, Tails and Paul weren't alone. Seemingly out of nowhere, Ejnar Bjorn came barreling at them, wielding a long metal pipe and his gaze focused on the beasts that had Tails and Paul surrounded. With a resounding CRACK! Ejnar swung the pole, catching one of the beasts right in the head. It flew right into the wall and bounced off. It laid very still and didn't move. Nor would it ever again.  
  
"I guess Misha wasn't kidding when he said Ejnar was a great martial artist." Sally said breathlessly. One down, three to go. Unfortunately, one of those three was still down there with Ejnar and the kids. It growled and prepared to pounce, but it somehow got itself stuck mid-leap in a small blue whirlwind.  
  
"Spin and win time!" Sally heard a familiar voice yell. With a howl that sounded more like a whimper, the beast went flying away.  
  
"Sonic!" Sally shouted. "Get them out of there!"  
  
"Gotcha, Sal!" Sonic shouted back. Revving up his legs, Sonic grabbed Paul and carried him off while Tails carried Ejnar up onto the administration building's roof.  
  
"Nice job Sonic! Is everybody safe?" Sally asked anxiously. "Anyone missing?" She spied Olivia and Major Cadwaller doing a quick head-count. All she heard in response was a fearful shriek.  
  
Sally whirled. "Who-?" Misha paled.  
  
"Rosa!"  
  
Misha darted for the stairwell that led down from the roof, Sally right on his heels. Sally tried to tell him not to rush in, but knew that if their places had been reversed, she would have done the same thing.  
  
"This is happening too fast!" Sally's mind screamed at her. "Think of something!" And she tried, but when she followed Misha down to the mess hall, she found that it was a bit late for a planning session. In the middle of the mess hall, Rosa and the ferret girl, Nazdar if Sally remembered correctly, had barricaded themselves with the tables and tried to keep the beasts at bay.  
  
Two beasts circled round, a ruined corpse was all that was left of the third. Sally wrinkled her nose in disgust. Apparently the creatures would prey on their own if given the chance. Disgusting.  
  
"What do we do?" Misha asked urgently. He was scared, but not for himself. Sally saw Rosa and Nazdar trying to fend the beasts off with broken table legs, but she knew that wouldn't hold them off for long.  
  
Sally's attention was wrenched from her plans when Nazdar suddenly leapt over the tables in a fine display of ferret agility and brought her makeshift club straight on one of the creatures. It stumbled back, dazed. But that daze was soon replaced by anger and it roared.  
  
"AIIEE!" Nazdar yelped as she jumped back. "Canewer!" Misha tried to help but only succeeded in getting battered aside like a rag-doll. Fortunately, he proved enough of a distraction to give Nazdar another chance. She picked up another table fragment, one with a sharper end, and smashed it down on the creature's exposed neck. The creature collapsed after the third hit, and didn't get up again. Despite the desperation of the scene, Sally couldn't help but grin.  
  
"Three down, one to go." Unfortunately, the last one had heard her and had decided to go after her. Sally slowly backed up, not wanting to give the beast any reason to charge before she had an idea ready. "Think Sally-girl, think!" Her mind raced. What to do? She suddenly yipped with pain and surprise when her tail came into contact with something hot. Very hot. "The stove!" Sally exclaimed as an idea began to form. It was based on a trick she had seen Sonic do once, back in Lower Mobius. When he was confronted with a Ratbot. She smiled.  
  
"Hey ugly, over here!" Sally called. She threw a broken table fragment at it, hoping to incite it to charge. "Like a charm." Sally smiled. With a roar and a snarl, the beast came. Misha, who had gotten back on his feet, yelled at her to get out of its way.  
  
"Not yet." She thought. "Not yet...NOW!" At the last possible second, Sally dove out of the way leaving the creature to jam its head into the active stove. It writhed and jerked about in pain, but Sally never noticed that. Her momentum had been too strong and she bashed the back of her head against the wall. Ears ringing, head aching, and her body shuddering, Sally tried standing back up but found she couldn't. Nor could she hear Misha's frantic questions about her condition. All she heard--all she felt--was a dull ache that soon faded into blackness.  
  
* * * 


	21. Chapter TwentyOne

* * *  
  
"Sally? Sally!" Someone was calling her.  
  
"Couldn't they wait five minutes?" Her brain thought sleepily. "I have such a headache..."  
  
"Wakey, wakey Princess. Otherwise I may just have to let soldier-boy take a crack at this."  
  
"All right, all right! I'm awake." Sally groaned. She sat up slowly. It took a minute for her pounding headache to subside long enough for her to realize that she was in bed. And standing over her was none other than...  
  
"Misha?" She asked in confusion. "What-?"  
  
"You were expecting perhaps, Prince Charming?"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You managed to give yourself a concussion and a burnt tail when you stopped that last beast. You saved the day, but you've been out of it for almost half a week."  
  
"Three days?! But the raid!-"  
  
"-Went on without you. Colonel Franklin decimated Robotnik's refinery with no losses. He's quite good. Your friends have been asking about you."  
  
"I want to see them." Sally said as she slowly stood up, stretching as she did so.  
  
"Um, I hate to sound rude, but maybe you should shower first." Misha said, his nose twitching. "It has been three days."  
  
Sally was about to snap back with a crushing rejoinder when she caught a whiff of herself. "Ugh, I think you may have a point." she groaned. "Where are the showers?" Misha pointed. "Thanks."  
  
Five minutes later, feeling and smelling much better, Sally was escorted by Misha down to the hastily repaired mess hall, where she was greeted by a thunderous ovation.  
  
"What is all this?" She asked, feeling overwhelmed.  
  
"It's your Bat Mitzvah, what do you think it is?" Misha asked in a sarcastic, but friendly manner.  
  
Sally was unable to answer, as she was immediately mobbed by her friends.  
  
"Way to go Sal!"  
  
"Manifique moi prinzess!"  
  
"All right Sally-girl!" Sally had to all but fend them off with a stick.  
  
"Wait, what's all this for?" She demanded one last time. Misha just shook his head in mock pity.  
  
"You just don't get it do you? You want it spelled out? Fine. Here's the short version, you killed the last one of those damned beasts, created the first lasting alliance between Mobians and Overlanders against Robotnik, prevented this place from being ripped to pieces and prevented us from starving to death. You're a hero, again."  
  
Sally shook her head as Misha continued. "What's more, you impressed a certain Slav that perhaps, not ALL blue-bloods are cowardly wretches."  
  
"Small miracles." Sally said in a daze. She looked around, the hall was draped in banners and posters two dozen languages and several alphabets. There was music playing and someone was singing. The mood was light and the happiness seemed contagious. It wasn't long before Sally joined the others in the celebration. Even the Colonel was there, cutting a rug with Major Cadwaller.  
  
Sally felt the stress, anxiety, and last fear of the few days simply melt away. She soon found herself laughing and having fun along with everyone else, dancing to some Romanian tune and knowing none of the words, but that didn't stop her or anyone else. They all just made up their own lyrics, in their own languages. When she finally stopped to take a break, she spied a very interesting sight. David and Misha, standing off to the side, laughing and clapping each other on the back.  
  
"About bloody time." Olivia commented from behind. Sally turned with a questioning gaze. "Those two used to be like brothers, until some bad blood popped up."  
  
"Over Rosa?" Sally asked.  
  
"Yeah, or as I like to call it, the worst best-kept secret ever. David thought Misha was taking advantage of 'er, which 'e wasn't and things got a might bit ugly. Glad to see that's all water under the bridge now."  
  
Sally nodded in agreement. Before she could say anything further, the Colonel pulled her aside.  
  
"Might I have a word with you Princess? I simply wish to inform you that you have made a friend in the Overlander Empire. The first of many, I would hope."  
  
"Likewise Colonel." Sally nodded.  
  
"I also wanted to inform you that my soldiers and I will be withdrawing from this place tomorrow. We're going home to see if there is anything left of our homeland. However, your compatriots told me of the plight of your Eastern Freedom Fighters. They are in need of a base of operations. Since we plan on leaving and have no real estate agents, how would you like to take this garrison off our hands?"  
  
Sally had to refrain herself from gasping. "You're serious." She said.  
  
"Quite serious. I believe that such a move would be mutually beneficial. It would give your people a base and would provide a vanguard for mine. Are we agreed?"  
  
"Agreed." Sally said, too happy and stunned for words.  
  
"Excellent, now if you'll excuse me-" And he turned away, leaving a very pleased and taken aback Princess Sally.  
  
"Two birds with one stone, eh Princess?" Came a Russian accented voice Sally knew too well.  
  
"You might say that Misha. What's on your mind?"  
  
"A lot. I-I guess I'm feeling a bit depressed. With the Overlanders withdrawing and the beasts dead, most of us are going home."  
  
"And you're unhappy because you can't go home?"  
  
"Partially. I guess I'm also going to miss the Mir."  
  
"Mir?" Sally asked, repeating the foreign word.  
  
"It's a Russian word. It means peace, community, and the world. That's what we had here. Our community was our world, Mobians from all over and Overlanders too, living in peace. Now that's gone. And we're going to disperse."  
  
"That may be. But if each of them is going to their native lands, and each of them brings that ideal with them, then you'll have helped spread the concept of 'Mir' all over Mobius." Misha looked at her curiously.  
  
"You're trying to make me feel better by appealing to my ego. Not going to work."  
  
"You're pretty stubborn, you know that?" Sally asked. Misha snorted.  
  
"That, as the humans say, is an example of the teapot calling the kettle black." He glanced over he shoulder. "If you'll pardon me for just a moment..." He sidestepped her and hurried outside. Sally discreetly followed.  
  
As she poked her head out the door, she spotted Misha embracing Rosa and the two of them quietly talking. For some odd reason, even though it was in Yiddish, she somehow understood everything that Misha was saying.  
  
"--I'm sure David will be fine, his arm is healing quite nicely. No, that dispute is all in the past now. Listen, Rosa...I-I can't tell you how much I'll miss you. But I can't come with you. I just don't belong with you just yet. There are things-things I have to discover. Maybe I can make a difference somewhere. I've asked Abdullah to look after you. Just make sure he doesn't look after you TOO well." He paused as Rosa said something back.  
  
Sally waited and watched the two of them seem to argue about something. Rosa brought her hands behind her neck and unclasped a necklace she wore and tried to put it in his hands.  
  
"I-I can't, Rosa-that was a gift from your family! I couldn't!" But Rosa seemed to think otherwise. She pried his hand open and deposited it in his palm before she closed his hand around it. "I love you." Misha whispered. Rosa's response wasn't translated, but Sally knew what she said all the same. Sally withdrew as the two fell into a crushing embrace and a passionate kiss.  
  
"Eavesdropping?" Sky Lynx asked, nearly giving Sally an aneurysm.  
  
"How did you-?" Sally gasped. The dragon seemed to shrug, or as much as a dragon without shoulders can shrug.  
  
"Dragons are natural telepaths. We can read and transmit thoughts. I decided to give you a glimpse of what Misha was saying and thinking. Call it pay back for his 'volunteer work' for me."  
  
"Where will you go?" Sally asked. "What will you do?" Sky Lynx grinned.  
  
"Oh, I'll keep in touch with this lot, but where I go and what I do is my business alone. Maybe if you're lucky, I may drop in someday."  
  
"Imagine my joy." Sally groaned. Sky Lynx guffawed and sauntered off leaving Sally to shake her head in despair.  
  
"Sally?"  
  
"Misha?" She couldn't help but notice him wearing a gold necklace with a six-pronged star pendent. "What's that?"  
  
"Oh, this? This is a Magen David. A gift from Rosa."  
  
"I see." Sally said, not wanting to pry further. "Misha, I know that you can't go home, not now at any rate. It occurred to me that someone with your talents and your gifts would always be appreciated in Knothole." He stared at her, as if wondering what disease she had been infected with.  
  
"I suppose this is the place where I'm supposed to laugh?"  
  
"I'm serious. You could be a big help in Knothole."  
  
"Help with what? Restoring the Kingdom of Acorn? No offense Sally, but I can think of a lot of things I'd rather do than see that kingdom restores. It point of fact, restoring the old regime is the LAST thing I want to see happen."  
  
"No. The LAST thing you want to see happen is see Robotnik takeover and destroy Mobius while we debate politics." She shook her head. "Listen, our views on my father and the monarchy are probably never going to be resolved. But perhaps, if we work together, we can find some common ground between us. Between restoration and revolution, between kingdom and republic. If we don't, the only one who wins is Robotnik." Misha paused in consideration.  
  
"You realize that if I come back with you, become a freedom fighter, I'm going to make your life a living hell. I don't follow orders well, I don't believe in royalty, and I'm one of the most argumentative and stubborn Mobians ever born."  
  
"That's precisely why I need you." She had obviously thrown him for a loop, so Sally decided to elaborate. "It's been too long since I've had someone with a fresh perspective on things. Someone who'll argue with me without fear of jeopardizing our relationship. I need a balance, and frankly, so do you. As I see it, that makes us counter-parts."  
  
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into." Misha warned. Sally just smiled.  
  
"Neither will you."  
  
"Well in that case, how can I refuse?" He held out his hand. Sally shook it.  
  
"Welcome to the Freedom Fighters, Mikhail Sergeivich Dragoslav."  
  
"Like I said before, call me Misha."  
  
* * * 


	22. Epilogue

DRAMATIS PERSONAE  
  
Name-Gender-Ethnicity-Species  
  
Abdullah Nuqrashi-Male-Arab-Horse  
  
Anna Talonescu-Female-Romanian-Dog  
  
David Nussboym-Male-Jewish-Raccoon  
  
Ejnar Bjorn-Male-Danish-Bear  
  
Indira-Female-Indian-Tiger  
  
Jomo Uhuru-Male-Kikuyu-Zebra  
  
Ixaka Goiherri Zapalategi-Male-Basque-Mouse  
  
Liu Han-Female-Chinese-Panda  
  
Marie Reynard -Female-French-Vixen  
  
Mikhail Sergeivich Dragoslav-Male-Russian-Fox  
  
Nazdar Obaidullah-Female-Kurd-Ferret  
  
Nihal Kuar-Female-Sikh-Crocodile  
  
Olivia Sinclair-Female-English-Otter  
  
Paul Stephanopoulos-Male-Greek-Lizard  
  
Pedro Santiago-Male-Latino-Chihuahua  
  
Rosa Nussboym-Female-Jewish-Raccoon  
  
Sky Lynx-Male-N/A-Dragon  
  
Svetlana Bailzow-Female-Roma-Squirrel  
  
Thanh Phan Nguyen-Female-Vietnamese-Cat  
  
Vaclav Dubcek -Male-Czech-Rabbit  
  
Wladyslaw Sawatski-Male-Polish-Eagle  
  
  
  
GLOSSARY  
  
Kurdish  
  
Nave te çi ye?...What is your name? Canewer...Beast  
  
Danish  
  
Jak se jmenujete?...What is your name? God eftermiddag...Good morning  
  
Arabic  
  
Masmuk?...What is your name? Salaam aleikum...Hello Masaa al-khayr...Pleased to meet you  
  
Russian  
  
Zdrast'ye...Hello Dobry den...Good day Kak vas zavut?...What is your name? Kak dyela...How are you? Dobroye utro...Good morning Da...Yes Nyet...No Menya zavut...Call me [My name is..] Vot on...There he is  
  
German/Yiddish  
  
Guten tog...Good day Bist du da?...Is that you? Das ist die frage...That is the question Ja...Yes Aber naturlich ich heisse, du dummkopf ...Of course it's me you dumbhead Mazeltov...Wonderful Danke schon fraulein...Thank you Miss..  
  
Basque  
  
Kaixo ...Hello  
  
French  
  
Mauvais tabernac!...Unknown Expletive Pardonnez-moi mademoiselle...Pardon me, Miss Sacre merde..Holy shit Merci beaucoup..Thank you Pas de qoi...You're welcome S'il vous plait...If you please Oui...Yes  
  
Vous avez raison...You have reason Mon Dieu....My God C'est vrai?...Is it true?  
  
Hindi  
  
Namaskaar...Hello  
  
Punjabi  
  
Sat sri akal...Hello  
  
Polish  
  
Dzien dobry...Good day  
  
Czech  
  
Dobry den ...Good day  
  
Kikuyu  
  
Muriega...Hello [To more than one person]  
  
Spanish  
  
Hola, amigos. Buenos dias...Hello friends. Good morning. Madre de Dios!...Mother of God!  
  
Greek  
  
Kyrie eleison!..Lord have mercy!  
  
FINAL NOTES:  
  
The story of Mikhail Sergeivich Dragoslav will continue in the Second Part of the Dragoslav Cycle. I included so many Mobians of different ethnicities because I felt the need, and the desire, to expand upon the notion that Mobius isn't that dissimilar from Earth. If it has English and French speaking Mobians, then why not Arabic chracters too? Or Russians? I sadly was not able to give each character as much of a voice as would have liked to, but I did want to put out the premise that there were more Mobians than those that just spoke English and one pseudo-French speaking Mobian. I will introduce future stories that involve other characters, not as a token of "political correctness" but out of a desire to bring more cultures and languages into the fold. Thank you.  
  
All that is gold does not glitter,  
  
Not all those who wander are lost,  
  
The old that is strong does not wither,  
  
Deep roots are not reached by frost,  
  
From ashes a fire shall be woken,  
  
Alight from the shadows shall spring,  
  
Renewed shall be the blade that was broken,  
  
The crownless shall again be king.  
  
-Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 


End file.
